Raise Your Hands And Burn The World
by sitabethel
Summary: Ryou's learned all the magic he can, but he still can't pull Marik's other half out of the Shadow Realm. The only thing he can do to save him... is trade places with him. (Bday fic for BananaGhoul!)
1. Chapter 1

*****Random disclaimers: mild violence (mostly Ryou killing fiends, so nothing that bad), but Kek does loose an eye in the Shadow Realm (hate to spoil that, but I'd rather add the disclaimer in case it'd bother someone). Also, there's a headless blow job in a later chapter, but that's specifically illusion magic, so it's not that bad, uh, right?*****

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Ryou lay on his bed. He had a little dragon made of light flying around his room. Each time his creation turned, there was a tinkle, like chimes in a soft breeze. Ryou remembered the first time he had summoned the little illusion out of lamplight and magic. He'd squealed in delight, clapping and laughing as he made the little dragon fly around. It couldn't move on its own, though. It wasn't alive, only a shape that moved and seemed to live as long as Ryou focused on it, like the dwarves from the Silmarillion. Ryou sighed and allowed the dragon to vanish in a burst of soft light.

He was bored.

He studied every type of magic that he could find. Most of it was preventing plague, or drought, or keeping negative people away, but once in awhile he found a spell that was fun to cast- like creating his little friend. He could make a cat, or a ferret, or a bird, any animal he could imagine, and he'd played with several, but the trick was old now, and he wanted something new to fill the sleepless hours that stretched long and lonely during the night.

Ryou jumped up and grabbed his salt pouch. He started drawing a circle. Then he used ash to draw specific symbols, and words, and designs that could make a grown man weep at the sight of them- but they didn't phase Ryou. Nothing phased Ryou anymore. He'd harbored a demon in his soul. No, not the thief whose ba had moved on with the other spirits of Kul Elna after the Pharaoh returned to the afterlife, but something worse. Although it was true that the thief had possessed his body, that wasn't nearly as bad as the evil emanating from the Ring itself. It had taken everything, everything Ryou had to keep that darkness from corrupting him as it had done the thief, and by the time Yugi fought the Ceremonial Duel, Ryou knew for a fact that nothing would ever scare him again, and nothing would ever hurt him again, because there was nothing worse than Zorc Necrophades in all the world that could try.

He opened a portal to the Shadow Realm.

He wasn't supposed to know the magic. He'd stolen a book from the tomb during the Ceremonial Duel and kept it, deciphering the hieratic and learning everything he could from the Shadow Alchemy inside. It was in that book that Ryou had discovered the truth behind the Items, the blood and soul sacrifices required to create them, the reason for the thief's rage. He also learned how to create demons and obtain immeasurable power, but just like with the Items, everything had its blood cost. The only spell Ryou considered "safe" to use was opening a rip into the Shadows themselves, and even that was questionable. If he didn't keep the salt intact he could enable fiends and monsters to enter the regular world, killing anyone too weak to fight them- and almost everyone was too weak to fight them.

Except Ryou.

He'd studied every branch of magic there was, mastered it all, and he needed something to do. The Shadow Realm wasn't a theme park; it wasn't meant for entertainment. Ryou knew that, and yet, and yet, he needed something new to fill the sleepless hours that stretched long and lonely during the night.

He stepped into the darkness. He surrounded himself with light, summoning it up from his inner heka, and went to explore the Shadows. At first Ryou saw nothing, and his heart sank. If there was nothing in the darkness for him to fight then there was nothing for him to do, and he yearned for activity, anything to distract him.

And he remembered things in the Shadows when he was sent there during Battle City, fiends, ghouls, unspeakable horrors that had delighted and thrilled him. He'd used up too much energy fighting them back then, near starved himself, but he was stronger now. He could play for hours before returning to his realm to recharge, a living hack and slash video game for him to explore.

Then fire caught Ryou's eye. Smoldering, red light surrounding graying flesh, and heat, and stench, and a wet, feral growl that stretched out into the void of the Shadow Realm. Ryou recognized Flamvell Fiend, gold chains clinking at the creature's hips. Ryou smiled. He thought of ice, and frigid air, and used heka to pull the sensation into his hand. He flung a spear of ice into the fiend's chest and watched it sink into the dark around them.

"That was too easy," Ryou spoke to himself just to hear a voice.

He'd been doing that more and more, talking to himself just to hear a voice. It was never the same with his friends after everything happened. His old friends remembered cursed tabletop games and comas, Yugi and the others remembered an angry thief in Ryou's body. He didn't really blame them. Nor did he blame the thief, not after learning that it took 99 sacrifices to create the Items, and remembering building the ruins of a small village for Bakura's final game against Atem. He didn't blame any of them, but they had still left him alone.

A Korot attacked Ryou with his trident, and Ryou dissolved the creature in a burst of light, as easy as he'd removed the dragon illusion when he'd tired of playing with it. They were too easy, even the monsters of the Shadow Realm were too easy now that Ryou knew how to fight them. There was nothing for Ryou to do. He thought about laying in the darkness and letting it have him, even dropped to his knees, feeling numb and empty.

A scream of rage caught Ryou's ears. He looked for the sound. It was, if nothing else, a distraction. Hearing it again, Ryou pushed back up to his feet and wandered deeper into the darkness. Another scream had him running, not with fear but excitement. There was something in the scream, the helplessness, the rage, the will to live despite the impossibility of it, that enticed Ryou. It was everything he could no longer feel hammered into a single, desperate sound.

And of all the dark, forsaken creatures he could find in the Shadows, it was Marik's other half that Ryou saw. Blood streamed down his limbs, his clothes were rags, and one eye was a gouged out pit, but Marik's doppleganger stood and fought and screamed with everything he had, and it was no meager battle. Ryou recognized an Ultimate Obedient Fiend, Darkness Neosphere, Raviel, Lord of Phantasms, and Hiquzin, the Supreme Fiend Lord- all amazing cards and all amazing demons to have to fight.

With a staff of light Ryou charged. His hair fluttered behind him as he ran. He caught the Ultimate Obedient Fiend in the throat, killing him quickly, but had to dodge and roll to avoid Neosphere's claws. Ryou started to laugh, bell-like and musical. It'd been too long since he felt his blood pump, since he had felt any true joy.

He killed Neosphere and Raviel, but saved Hiquzin for last, toying with him for a moment before dissolving him into dead shadow. Sweating and panting Ryou grinned, wiping droplets from his brow. Only then did he look at Marik's other half, who stood on his own two feet but swayed as if drunk.

"Ba … kura?" He asked, knees buckling.

He fought to keep upright, but he was running low on ba. His skin and hair were dim, as if the Shadows had leeched all the color from his physical form the way the sunlight will bleach an old photograph.

"I'm not the Ring Spirit, if that's what you mean."

"H-how? Why, are you…?"

Ryou shrugged, looking around. "I'm bored."

Marik's alter ego laughed, but it wasn't sweet or musical like Ryou's laughter. It was mad.

"Stay a little longer. Never boring here. There's always a fight."

"I'm sorry, but it is boring here. Those monsters hardly took any of my energy."

"Huh." The not-Marik collapsed to the ground. "I'm not sure how long it's been, but I think they've finally managed to take all of mine."

Ryou did some math. "It's been over five years."

"Well, at least I existed five more years," Marik's alter ego whispered, the lilac of his eye growing dull.

Ryou knelt in front of him. "You're dying."

"It's hard … to fight for five years. Tired now. Can't … can't anymore."

Something stirred in Ryou. From what he had heard, Marik's other half was nothing more than Raviel or Hiquzin, just another powerful fiend, but it didn't seem that way, not to Ryou. He brushed a stray hair out of the alter ego's face.

"If you could, would you want to live?"

"Pfff, of course you asshole. Everything I ever did was because I wanted to live."

"Even if you're stuck here? Even if you'd just die in another five years?"

"Yes." The alter ego growled. "Even in this dark, painful place I want to live as long as I can. I have a right to exist too!"

Ryou pulled heka into his hands. This time it was life and not ice that he summoned. He smoothed his hands through the other Marik's mane of hair.

"What are you doing?" He jerked away from Ryou's touch.

"Healing you."

"Why?"

Ryou slipped his hand back into his hair, massaging the alter ego's scalp, trying to heal both his crown chakra and his physical wounds.

"Because you wanted to live, so why not? Fighting is dull. I might as well use my magic for this."

"That … tingles."

Ryou nodded, giving the alter ego a deep scalp massage.

"It should feel like spearmint does on the tongue."

"Never tasted spearmint."

"Oh. Would you like me to bring you some? I grow just about every herb for rituals."

"You'd … come back? For me?" He looked at Ryou, his remaining eye still dull and fading.

"Yeah, I don't see why not? It'll give me something to look forward to. Want anything else?"

"Food!" He shouted, licking his lips with a long, dagger-like tongue. "Any kind. I'm always hungry here."

"Yeah, I remember feeling the same." Ryou nodded, lowering his hands to the other Marik's temples.

"That feels good." The alter ego half lidded his eye and his mouth grew slack.

"Oh good, that means the magic is working."

Ryou worked on his forehead and then dropped down to his neck and shoulders. The alter ego started to pant a little, and grip Ryou's shoulders as if for balance.

"It doesn't hurt, does it?"

"I thought existing meant hurting. This is the only real pleasure I've ever known . But this … is …"

Ryou reached the wings on the other Marik's back and he screamed in ecstasy, flinging his arms around Ryou and shuddering. Ryou let go, blushing and confused. He didn't think he'd done anything for that sort of response, and he felt strangely aroused by the sight of the alter ego's messy hair, flushed cheeks, and panting, rosy lips. Not only that, but the sound he'd made, and the feel of him grabbing Ryou and shuddering, sweet gods and fiends it felt nice. Ryou had never thought about dating before, never daydreamed about kisses or physical intimacy, so the fact that Marik's other half's reaction was causing Ryou's dick to swell was a little frightening for Ryou.

For once in his life he didn't know what to do. What was the best strategy? If he left, The other Marik would die. Ryou had to keep healing, but the thought of touching him again made Ryou feel hot, and aching, and tight in his belly and pants.

"Was it too much?" Ryou asked.

"It was amazing," he whispered.

"Not, um, awkward or, uh, n-not uncomfortable?"

"I could feel light. Inside me, for the first time." A tear rolled down his cheek from his good eye.

"Please don't cry." Ryou held his cheek and thumbed away the tear. "Here, let me see what I can do about your eye."

Ryou placed both palms over the other Marik's missing eye and starting concentrating his energy. The wound felt contaminated, infected with darkness. Ryou's hands burned as he tried to repair the damage.

It hurt. It hurt like searing darkness and screams and agony, but Ryou soldiered through the pain and kept healing.

"What happened? Why does this injury feel wrong?" Ryou gasped.

"The whole time I've been here I was never afraid … until today." he whispered as Ryou worked.

"Go on."

"I saw him, the true god of this place. I thought I was part of the darkness. I thought I wanted to serve it, but when I saw Zorc … I ran … I ran."

"It's okay," Ryou whispered, but he shuddered because he remembered what that presence felt like."

"He moves with the Shadows. Couldn't escape so I fought, but he only laughed and toyed with me. He took my eye and … ate it. Right in front of me, and left me to die. The others were coming to scavenge what was left. That's when you appeared."

"I'm sorry," Ryou kissed his palms as they rested over the other Marik's eye, adding empathy to his spell and making the magic stronger because of it. "I can restore your energy and repair what's damaged, but I can't create an eye."

"You're saving my life." He held both Ryou's wrists with his hands. "I'm not going to complain."

Ryou lowered his hands, slipping them into the other Marik's grip and looking at his face.

His sole, lavender eye was gleaming, the first signs of life seeping back into his body, but the other eye was a smooth, pink scar.

"I'm sorry." Ryou started to cry.

"Because I'm ugly?"

"No." Ryou held his face. "Because I couldn't fix everything."

"That doesn't make any sense." His face twisted in confusion.

"I thought I was better than everyone, that I could fix everything" Ryou confessed.

Loud cackling echoed in the darkness around them. Marik's other self held his stomach as he laughed.

"Why is it funny?" Ryou asked.

"Because everyone thinks you're a sweet little kitten, but you're a vain asshole like the rest of us."

"Oh." Ryou grinned, drying his tears. "I guess I am. The only difference is I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Have you tried it? You might like it." The alter ego grinned, reminding Ryou that he was indeed more creature than human.

But for some reason that didn't bother Ryou. Maybe it was because Ryou had spent so much time with the Ring that he hardly felt human himself anymore, so who was he to judge another creature? This monster in the Shadows was more like Ryou than any of the people he knew.

"You have other wounds," Ryou said, placing his hands on the other Marik's chest. His tank top was in tatters, so Ryou slid the rags away so he could focus on the cuts and gashes criss crossing all over the other Marik's chest.

"I'll try to heal it enough so that there aren't any scars when I'm done." Ryou looked up to the other Marik's face. "Except your eye, sorry, that was the best I could do."

He reached up and touched the mass of scar tissue where his left eye should be.

"I'm not Marik."

"I know."

He shook his head. "I used to think I was Marik. I was the real Marik and my other personality was a weakling that didn't deserve his own body, but we've been apart for too long. I don't feel like I'm him anymore." Another monstrous grin. "And I like scars."

"You'll like me, then." Ryou snorted, showing off his scarred hand.

The other Marik grabbed the hand, pulled it a little closer so he could see the salmon colored scar rising above otherwise white, white flesh.

"It's beautiful. Look…" he traced the lines. "It's almost like a star exploding before it dies."

"It's ugly." Ryou pulled his hand away, going back to healing the other Marik's torso.

"You said my face wasn't ugly."

"The scar looks painful, but your face is handsome." Ryou blushed as soon as he realized what he said.

"Do you say that to all the monsters lurking around the Shadows?"

"Oh my god, did you just make a joke?"

"I'm cruel, not humorless." He shrugged.

"Tall, dark, handsome, and has a good sense of humor. Wow, you're like a dream date." Ryou started laughing.

"Pfff, hell yeah I am. I can show you all the best sites the Shadows have to offer. Like that dark patch over there, and that other dark patch over there."

Ryou started to laugh. The happiness he felt welled up inside of him and leached into the healing spell. Ryou slipped his hands down to the other Marik's belly, avoiding his back for the time being. Nonetheless, pressing his hands to the bare, hard muscles in the other Marik's stomach didn't really help the flush in Ryou's cheeks.

"I'll bring the picnic lunch," Ryou tried to joke to take his mind off of the other Marik's body.

"Are you really going to bring me food?" he asked, licking his lips again at the thought.

"I said I would." Ryou nodded. "I promise."

"Then I won't try to kill you when I see you- since you're bringing me food."

"You couldn't hurt me even if you wanted to." Ryou laughed.

"Yeah, I saw how you took the others out …" his sentence trailed off, his expression lost in thought.

"I'm going to try heal the cuts on your back again. If it hurts, or feels too overwhelming, let me know."

"Okay." He nodded.

Ryou slid his hands back to the other Marik's shoulders. The other Marik gasped again, and held onto Ryou again as Ryou's fingers traced over his rough scars.

"Should I stop?" Ryou asked.

"I never want this to stop," the other Marik sighed, relaxing against Ryou's body.

Ryou's face burned, and he honestly didn't want to stop either. He liked the way the other Marik held him, and how their bodies felt when pressed together.

"Why your back?"

"Ahhh …" the other Marik sighed.

Ryou started to experiment, curiosity getting the better of him. If he smoothed his fingers over the soft, whole skin between scars, the other Marik settled down, but if he lifted his fingers up to the scars, the other started to writhe.

"It's only when I touch your scars."

"It feels like the sun's on my back," he muttered, sighing again and arching a little into Ryou's hold. "Also … like …"

"Like we should have gone on a few dates first?" Ryou tried laughing, but he was too nervous, and he hadn't had the guts to use the word erotic.

The other Marik was silent for a long time. He pulled back just enough to look at Ryou, blinking his good eye as he thought.

"Do you mean, this is what sex feels like?"

"I'm not sure, exactly, but from the way you're reacting … I think it's similar if not the same." Ryou's face burned even more at the direct question, and at having to answer it.

"Oh … I want to have sex, then."

"That's a little sudden!"

"I didn't mean right now!"

Ryou felt a little better the the other Marik looked as flustered and embarrassed as Ryou felt. He looked away.

"I meant in general. I… never liked the idea before because Marik never liked the idea, but … if that's how it feels, I wouldn't mind trying it some time."

"Well, if you go around killing people, you're going to have a hard time finding someone to sleep with."

"It's not like I'm ever getting out of the Shadows." The other Marik's face fell. "I'll never get to try anything. I'll never get to even try to live like a human- I'm stuck as a monster in the darkness."

Ryou combed the other Marik's hair with his fingers. He bumped their noses together to get the other Marik's attention.

"Hey."

"Hey what?"

"Want to go out on a real date?"

"I just told you-"

"But we really could have a picnic. I'll bring a ton of food, and a blanket, hmmm ..." Ryou paused in thought. "I'm not sure electronics will work in the Shadow Realm, but I could see if my laptop works? I could bring a movie and we can watch it together."

"You'd … want to? With me?"

Ryou smiled and nodded.

"But I'm a monster! I'd tear you to shreds if I was strong enough."

"But you're not." Ryou winked, then grew serious. "Would you really? Even now?"

The other Marik blushed. "Well not now. You're going to bring me food."

Ryou laughed. "Yeah, that's right. Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

The other Marik snapped his teeth near Ryou's hand, and they both started laughing. Ryou realized their faces had drawn close in the process, perfect kissing distance.

"You still have a few more injuries," Ryou said, staring at the other Marik's thick lips.

"You don't have to." He fidgeted with his own fingers to avoid looking at Ryou. "If it feels … like that, and you don't want to …"

"Actually, I like watching you." Ryou stared at the other Marik's fingers to avoid looking at him too. "It just seems rude."

"It doesn't bother me." He looked back up, Ryou could feel his stare on him. "Actually, if you like watching … that makes it better."

Ryou slowly lifted up his head to match the other Marik's gaze. They were both blushing and unsure of how to act, and Ryou thought this can't be the same alter ego that everyone was afraid of. He's a kitten. But then he remembered that the other Marik had referred to Ryou as a kitten, too.

"Would you like me to finish?"

He nodded, and Ryou held him for a moment, feeling like he needed to before he made the other Marik squirm and call out again.

"Fucking gods this is good," he sighed and buried himself deeper into Ryou's hold.

"I'm only hugging you."

"But it's as good as the other feeling."

That made Ryou's heart light up, and somehow turned him on even more. He could have stayed there for an hour, sitting in the darkness and holding its forsaken child, but Ryou was starting to feel the strain of the place on his soul. He'd spent a good amount of energy restoring the other Marik's ba and healing his wounds, and he'd have to go back to his room soon to eat and sleep and recover his own energy.

But before he left, he finished healing the last of the other Marik's injuries, keeping one hand on the ankh on the other Marik's back, while using the other to smooth down his legs until his lacerations were completely healed.

Then Ryou reached up and traced the rest of the other Marik's scars, enjoying the way he arched and moaned. Ryou keep tracing, not realizing what he was doing until the other Marik's moans settled down to heavy breathing and there were only mild, smooth lines instead of thick, harsh ridges left for Ryou's fingers.

"Oh!" Ryou shouted, dropping his hands away. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Ryou, I told you I didn't mind." The other Marik sighed against his neck.

Ryou shivered at the sensation, still hyper-aroused from their experience.

"You're scars are almost gone."

"What? Is that why my back doesn't hurt?" He sat up and reached behind him, trying to feel his own back the best he can.

"I'm sorry. You said you liked scars. I had no right-"

The other Marik held Ryou's face and kissed him. Ryou acted on instinct, kissing back and deepening the kiss and starting a second one when the first ended.

"I'm not angry," he whispered next to Ryou's lips.

"Good." Ryou exhaled in relief.

"I mean at all." The other Marik looked at his hands, and arms, and legs, like he was expecting to see something. "I feel … things. Lots of things, but not angry."

"I-I was trying to heal your ba and chakras as well as the cuts. I figured you'd live longer that way."

"I don't feel deranged anymore, I don't feel-" a few tears slipped from his eye. "I killed people."

"I'm sorry." Ryou closed his eyes, feeling like he'd ruined the alter ego somehow, made him into something different without meaning to- like when Schmendrick turned the unicorn into a human, although in this case it was more like turning the Red Bull intro a human.

"Oh Ra, for the first time … I feel bad for what I did."

"I'm sorry," Ryou said yet again.

"I need to think." The other Marik buried his face in his hand. "I need to be alone for a while."

"Y-yeah, of course. I'm sorry."

"Stop." He looked up at Ryou. "Don't apologize."

"Sorry- I mean, okay. I won't."

"You're coming back, right? After I've sorted things out?"

"I'll be back tomorrow." Ryou nodded. "I'll bring so much food."

"And a movie?"

"Yes."

"Is it still a date?" He gave Ryou a shy smile.

"If you want it to be, but if you're mad, I'll just give you the food and lea-"

He kissed Ryou again, this time quick and desperate. Their lips pulled at each other, sucking, and Ryou felt some of his energy return to him from the act.

"I want it to be a date, so bring the movie."

Ryou smiled. "I'll bring two."


	2. Chapter 2

He curled into a tight knot, lying on his side, and choked on his own tears. His throat felt swollen and clogged with snot. He coughed a thick wad of the sick mess onto the shadowed floor, and continued to cry.

He wondered if he was dying. He hadn't known that when people said their hearts were breaking that they were telling the truth. He thought it'd only been an expression. But that was how he felt, like his heart was physically breaking.

He finally understood the real pain Marik had felt all those years ago, forcing him to create an alter ego. It hadn't just been the pain, though the pain had almost killed him, but it hadn't just been the pain.

The fiends and demons and terrors left him alone as he broke down. He still had a glow about him, the aftermath of Ryou's touch, and it acted like a torch keeping the predators away so he could sob uninterrupted.

He yearned for another hug, but Ryou was gone, and he had only the memory of their embrace to comfort him.

Once the tears dried into a thin salt-crust on his burning cheeks, he felt strangely … cleansed. There was still grief, guilt, shame, and sorrow, but with that came understanding of what it felt to be whole.

He needed a name.

The thought came unbidden to him. He was more than he once was, no longer Marik, no longer a monster lurking in shadows, he'd rejected Zorc's darkness and embraced Ryou's light, and he needed a name to complete himself.

But what? Something off-shooting from Marik's name like Mariku? No. He wanted something more distanced from Marik than that, and something Egyptian.

Marik had thought himself a god, and his other side thought it might be funny to name himself after one. He didn't like Horus or Osiris, those were related to the Pharaoh. Isfet was chaos, a goddess name, but he didn't mind that it was feminine, but it wasn't quite him. Set was also a god of chaos, but it reminded him of Seto Kaiba. Apep? No, that seemed too dark, he wanted something that represented dark that could be made light.

"Kek," he spoke his new name into the darkness.

It suited him. It was ugly, but so was he, one eye gobbled up by Zorc like a macabre parody of Ammit gobbling up a soul. Kek was an old god from the Ogdoad, and the Shadow Realm very much resembled the darkness before the Ogdoad. Also, Kek was specifically the darkness that lingered before dawn, and that's how he felt- that this was a final dark moment before his soul crested into its own dawn.

Ryou ran around the house, shoving his laptop into his backpack, shoving half a dozen DVDs in as well, and flashlights, and a few of Ryou's favorite paperbacks, a new outfit since his date's old one was nothing more than rags, and an old gameboy. His picnic basket was also overly packed. He had plenty of nonperishable snacks, pocky, cookies, candy bars, granola bars, beef jerky. He also had it brimming with fresh fruits and vegetables, and a cold soba dish, and cold omelets, and a thermos of hot tea.

Ryou gathered everything near his magic circle, checking things off a mental list by tapping his fingers. It'd only been a day since the last spell- Ryou had to gather up all his energy by sleeping and eating before he could go back after such a huge amount of healing- but Ryou was anxious to see Marik's other half again.

In a way, it was because he felt responsible for him. Wasn't that an old saying? Once you save someone's life you're responsible for them? But in another way … Ryou was just excited to see him. It wasn't like the dragon though. It wasn't a magic trick Ryou would tire of after he got used to it. This was another person to get to know, and Ryou suspected that, fiend or not, there was so much more to learn about the previous dark personality than anyone ever gave him credit for. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Ryou liked him, because Ryou knew how that felt. Like the other Marik, everyone always assumed that they knew Ryou, but they never bothered going deeper than Ryou's surface, which was one of the reasons why he always felt lonely.

Ryou opened up the portal, staring at black so dark it almost shined violet. He stepped through, and only then did he wonder exactly how he'd find Marik's other half in the entirety of the Shadow realm. Ryou closed his eyes, walking blind and listening to the gnashing and growling around him in the dark. Ryou crushed fiend scorpions beneath his feet, and swatted flame fiends away as if they were flies. There were a few powerful monsters that he had to open his eyes and aim proper attacks at, but for the most part he was able to walk through the void with ease.

Then he felt hands clamp around his eyes and pull him against dense, solid muscle. Ryou dropped his picnic basket onto the shadowy floor.

"Caught you."

"Please don't hurt me," Ryou begged, holding back laughter.

"Then guess my name."

"Your name? But … do you have one?"

"I do now. I gave myself one."

"Three clues."

"Okay, but each time you guess wrong you get a penalty."

Ryou licked his lips in anticipation. "Deal."

He kept his hands over Ryou's eyes, tracing his nose near the end of Ryou's jawline and up to his ear to whisper, "I'm one of the old gods."

Ryou shivered. The feeling of their bodies pressed together, the dark personality's hands covering Ryou's eyes, his breath against Ryou's ears, Ryou wished the other Marik had more scars for him to heal.

He made a slow trail behind Ryou's head, nuzzling as he went until he reached the other ear. "I represent obscurity and chaos."

He let go of Ryou's eyes and spun Ryou into his chest, taking Ryou's chin and tilting it up so their gazes could match. "But I also bring the dawn."

Ryou flushed, and smiled, thinking about his three clues. If Marik's other half was a god, he was probably an Egyptian god, and he was obscure and chaotic.

"Are you Apep?" Ryou asked.

"No." He let go of Ryou's chin and yanked his hair, jerking his head back. "Now … where should I bite?"

"My neck," Ryou suggested.

"Maybe I should bite off a finger."

"That'd be really annoying to heal." Ryou frowned.

"What's the fun in you having healing powers if I can't even maim you a little?"

"Bite my neck. I promise it'll be fun."

"I was joking about maiming-"

"Ha! I knew you were!" Ryou laughed.

"I'm used to people being afraid of me." He grinned at Ryou's interruption.

Ryou raised an eyebrow, reminding him that Ryou was stronger than his "attacker."

"Why your neck?" he asked.

Ryou blushed. "It's something couples sometimes do."

"They bite each other?" His face wrinkled.

"Only hard enough to bruise. Not hard enough for blood." Ryou giggled.

"Wait …" His lavender eye grew thoughtful. "You said it was something couples sometimes do."

"Yeah, well…" Ryou tried to look away, but with his hair twisted up in the other Marik's fists Ryou couldn't move much. "It's a date, right?"

"Yeah … yeah it is." He started chuckling, using his free hand to hide half of his face. "Oh gods, I'm on a real date. I never imagined I'd do something like go on a date."

Ryou smiled, the other Marik's excitement was contagious and it felt like bats fluttered and roosted into Ryou's stomach. The other Marik leaned close. Ryou stood, but he was tilted back in the other Marik's grasp. Ryou tensed, expecting a quick, painful bite, but the former alter ego nuzzled the side of Ryou's neck, brushing his lips against the skin instead of biting.

"I like your penalty games." Ryou relaxed, submitting to the other Marik's hold.

He grunted, tickling Ryou's throats with little kisses and finishing with a long, slow lick up the side of Ryou's neck. Then he finally bit and warmth spread all throughout Ryou's body at the feeling. He moaned and dug his fingers into the former alter ego's shoulders. Ryou wanted to call out his name, but didn't know it yet, so he called out a god's name at random.

"Anubis!"

The teeth sank a little deeper into Ryou's skin, turning the warmth he already felt into an electric charge that made Ryou moan.

"Set! Min! Thoth! Taweret! Gods! Gods! I don't know!"

He gave Ryou a last bite and pulled back a bit. "I'm sorry, that means you get the ultimate penalty game."

He slid both of his hands up Ryou's shirt, brushing the tips of his fingers against Ryou's bare skin. Ryou hoped that the ultimate penalty game involved more kissing and biting, but he wasn't so lucky. Fingers dug into Ryou's ribs, causing him to double over in involuntary giggles.

"You're so mean!" Ryou shrieked and laughed, almost kicking his picnic basket over as he squirmed.

"This is your punishment for guessing wrong so many times." He laughed as he tickled Ryou without mercy.

Ryou squirmed out of his backpack, tossing it near the picnic basket. He tried to hold his attacker's hands, but he wasn't physically strong enough. Sure he could have used a spell, but that defeated the entire point.

Ryou's legs gave out and they both tumbled onto the shadowed floor. A vague, smoky mist kicked up around them like a cloud of dust. Ryou tried tickling his date back, but he couldn't concentrate enough.

By the time he was done, Ryou lay on the ground gasping for air with a flushed face and stray hairs spewing in every direction. The former personality loomed above Ryou, grinning, he grabbed the two "rabbit ears" near Ryou's bangs and held them up.

"You look like the thief now."

Ryou gave him a wink and shot at him with both fingers. They both dissolved into another fit of laughter.

"Are you going to tell me your name?" Ryou asked once he caught his breath.

"Kek."

"I don't think I've ever heard of him."

"He was before Ra, Osiris, and Set."

"I like it." Ryou grinned, holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Kek. I'm Ryou."

He snorted, but took Ryou's hand and shook it. Ryou sat up and grabbed his backpack.

"I brought you some new clothes, since those pants are in pretty bad shape." Ryou winked. "Although you pull off the shirtless look really well."

"I can't get you any gifts." Kek toyed with his fingers, looking melancholy. "There's nothing here."

Ryou stopped rummaging in his bag, glancing up.

"I know I saved you, but you saved me, too. It's nice, having someone I can be myself around."

"Your magic's what helped me find my sense of self." He shrugged. "I can't even pick you flowers."

"Would you?"

"If we weren't in the Shadow Realm." Kek flushed. "That's something you do for a date, right?"

"Yes, and I'd love it." He grabbed Kek's hands. "Just the thought makes me happy. Thank you. That's … really the sweetest thing anyone's ever thought of doing."

"A thought is useless." Kek frowned.

"No it's not. It makes me really happy."

Kek glanced at Ryou, his frown easing into a timid smile. He leaned in and stole a gentle kiss from Ryou's lips. Ryou licked his lips, wanting more but reminding himself to give Kek the clothes he'd pulled from the backpack.

"Here. It's just a t-shirt and jeans, but-"

"I love them."

"They're nothing special." Ryou felt his cheeks heat up.

"It's the first time anyone's ever given me anything. It's special to me."

That hurt Ryou's heart, thinking about how Kek had never been given a single thing his entire existence.

"Just wait. I'm going to spoil you rotten." He pulled a wide strip of cloth from one of the backpack's pockets. "Um … you don't have to wear this. I wasn't sure if you'd want it or not, but I made it for you." Ryou showed him the royal purple eyepatch. "I thought it'd look cool. You'll be like One-Eyed Willie in the Goonies."

"Who?"

"We'll watch it after dinner." Ryou shook his head. "He was a pirate. I mean, if it offends you don't wear it, but-"

Kek took the eye-patch and tied it around his head, raising the eyebrow above his good eye in order to ask Ryou how he looked.

"It's a sexy look on you." Ryou felt bashful answering the question so bluntly, but it was true. Then again, anything short of a clown suit would look sexy on Kek.

"Guess I should change." He grinned.

Ryou turned his head to be respectful.

"You don't have to turn away." Kek's voice sounded both inviting and playful.

"That would be indecent." Ryou grinned, covering his eyes but leaving a large gap between his fingers that clearly showed that he was watching.

Kek dropped the tattered remains of his khakis to the darkness below them. He smoothed his fingers through his hair and dragged them down the curves of his body. Watching was enough to get Ryou hard, and he hid himself with his backpack- still not used to and a little embarrassed by the blatant physical reactions he always got around Kek.

Kek turned around, still running his hands over his body so Ryou could enjoy the sight of him. In the dim light, Ryou couldn't even see the mostly-healed scars, although he knew if he touched Kek's back he'd be able to feel the faint, smooth remnants of them.

Kek slipped into the black boxer briefs Ryou had purchased for him, and then the jeans, turning back around and slipping the black t-shirt on last. He gave Ryou a sultry, flirtatious look once he'd finished, and Ryou couldn't imagine what his own face must have looked like, probably slack-jawed and wide-eyed.

Kek knelt besides Ryou, grinning.

"You're more beautiful than any flower I've ever seen," Ryou said.

Kek reached out, touching Ryou's hair. "So are you."

Ryou shied away, going back to his backpack to pull out his laptop.

"I'll take the laptop home, but I'm leaving the backpack here. There's a change of clothes, and books, and a gameboy, and I brought extra snacks-"

"That's too much." Kek frowned. "Why would you give me all that?"

"Because I want you to live as long as you can." Ryou leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "And I want you to be happy each day you're alive."

Kek stared at Ryou a moment and then started to cry.

"W-what did I say? I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

Kek silenced Ryou with two fingers pressed to Ryou's lips. He used his free hand to fist away the tears. When his fist failed to stop himself from weeping, he settled for swallowing Ryou up in his arms and crushing their chests together.

Ryou exhaled and returned the desperate embrace. He placed a line of kisses along Kek's throat, as if leaving a trail so Kek could find his way home.

"When I get attached to someone, I tend to get too close too quickly and go all out with affection. I'm sorry if I overwhelmed you."

"I- can't- believe …" Tears washed the words from Kek's mouth. He sniffed and tried again. "I don't deserve it."

"Yes. Yes you do."

"I'm a monster.".

"Humanity is monstrous. Otherwise children like Marik wouldn't need defense mechanisms like you, but I think even our broken parts deserve love, and you're so much more than a broken part now." Ryou thought a moment, then added, "You're Kek."

Instead of calming him down, Ryou's words cause a fresh rush of tears to burn Kek's cheeks. Ryou held him, and combed his fingers through Kek's hair, and kissed his temple.

"I love you," Kek whispered when his tears finally calmed. "N-not romantically- I like you romantically, but I don't think it's that kind of love. It's- I don't know what it is. I don't know how it's different. I just think that's the right emotion? Love?"

Ryou's heartbeat started thudding harder than the speakers at a rock concert. He couldn't breathe for a moment. He forced air into his lungs, and blew it out, trying to gather his thoughts.

"I'm glad. I'm glad." Ryou started laughing. "I never thought I'd be this happy in the Shadow Realm of all places. Before I met you I felt like I was dying inside, but I feel alive again, because of you."

"Is that love, too?" Kek asked. It was a candid, genuine question.

"Yes. I think that's also love. There's a lot of ways to love people. I wish there were more words, but maybe that'd make it even more confusing than it already is."

Kek forgot his tears and he buried himself in Ryou's hair. They held each other, brushed their fingers along each other's backs, caressed cheek to cheek. Ryou let Kek express his emotions through soft touches and nuzzling, giving Kek all the time he needed to experience the light, affectionate touching that he never received as an alter ego, and Ryou returned every act of affection, even adding a few loving kisses onto Kek's cheeks.

"Want to watch a movie?" Ryou asked when Kek's touches slowed and stopped and he sat with Ryou wrapped up in his arms.

"Yes." He gave Ryou an eager nod.

Ryou laid out the blankets he'd brought. As he waited for his laptop to power on he started pulling food out of his basket, handing Kek an orange right away.

Kek squealed in delight at the sight of it. He held the orange in both hands, closing his eyes and sucking in the scent before peeling and sectioning the fruit.

He offered a section to Ryou and Ryou's heart swelled. He knew how hunger ravaged a person in the Shadow Realm. He knew what it meant that Kek was sharing his first taste of food in five years with Ryou.

"Please, eat it. I brought plenty for both of us."

"Please," he echoed back Ryou's first word.

Ryou also realized that Kek had nothing else to offer Ryou to show his appreciation. So Ryou bowed, and accepted the orange slice, and shoved it into his mouth.

"Thank you. It's really good!" And it was. Even spending a few hours in the Shadow Realm drained a person's energy and made them hungry. The orange tasted as good as morning sunlight felt on the skin.

Kek grinned, shoving slice after slice into his mouth, hardly chewing enough before cramming another slice in. Ryou wanted to tell him to slow down, but he knew Kek couldn't help it. Five years, five years without food using only his ba to survive in the Shadows.

"You're really strong," Ryou said, handing Kek an apple.

"Not as strong as you." He attacked the apple with the same passion in which he ate the orange.

"Not sure I would have made it five years in this place alone."

"At least I'm not alone anymore." He grinned at Ryou.

Ryou patted the spot beside him on the blanket, hitting play on the movie and getting out their main dishes to eat together.

"This movie is more action comedy, but most of what I brought are horror. Ahhh, I can't get enough of horror movies!"

"Guess that explains why you like me."

"You're not so scary." Ryou poked Kek's nose. "You're more cuddly than a stuffed toy lion."

"That tickles." He laughed, and brushed Ryou's hand away, scrunching up his nose and scratching it.

"Serves you right for tickling me earlier."

"You lost the game."

"Oh, I don't feel like I lost." Instead of poking Kek's nose again, Ryou kissed it.


	3. Chapter 3

"You have a good eye for colors."

Kek started laughing, holding his paintbrush away from the little Monster World figurine so he didn't ruin the shield he was currently painting.

Ryou blushed. "That's not what I meant!"

"But it's the first thing I thought of when you said it."

"I'm sorry."

"If you don't stop apologizing, I'll shut you up myself."

"I'm sorry." Ryou licked his lips, grinning.

Kek dropped the brush and figurine and tackled Ryou, kissing him until he moaned through their pressed lips. After a solid minute of making out, Kek pushed himself away, found his paint brush, and went back to work as if nothing happened.

"I'm still sorry."

"I'm not kissing you again. Next time I'll tickle you."

Ryou laughed, rinsing his own paint brush and dabbing it with peacock blue paint.

"Are you tired?" Kek asked; he often asked.

"A little longer," Ryou insisted.

"The bags under your eyes are darker."

"I'm still better off than I was when I had the Ring."

"You should skip a day."

"No." Ryou's mouth set into a stubborn line.

"Who will heal me if you get sick?"

"You don't need healing anymore."

"Because you've been feeding me, I'll be okay for one day."

"But I'd miss you." Ryou dropped his brush back into the water, looking up at Kek sitting cross-legged in the Shadows.

"I've never heard anyone say that before." Kek's face beamed.

"I've been trying to summon you." Ryou started cleaning up his art supplies. "But nothing works."

Kek set down his figure and grabbed Ryou's hand. Ryou squeezed it. They sat in silence for a moment, and then Kek helped Ryou pack everything into a case Ryou had strapped to a luggage carrier so he could cart everything to and from the Shadow Realm.

"I love you a little more every day." Kek brushed his palm up Ryou's cheek.

"You deserve better than this place." Ryou's eyes filled up with tears. "I don't care how awful you were- you're not like that anymore! It's not fair-"

Kek kissed him, not on the lips but on the forehead. It quieted Ryou all the same.

"Please take one day off and get some extra rest," Kek whispered.

"I'm fine. I'm still stronger than anything else here."

"Bake me a cake. I want an entire cake," Kek said.

"I'll bring it tomorrow." Ryou's jaw tightened. Fine red spider legs stretched out from his maroon irises to the corners of his eyes.

"The day after."

"Kek-"

"If you show up tomorrow I'll run away!" Kek grabbed his backpack and sprinted into the darkness to prove his point.

"Idiot." Ryou closed his eyes, allowing a few of his tears to finally fall. He wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

He went back home and went straight to the kitchen. He had a rice cooker already set for when he got back. Ryou couldn't bother with dishes or forks. He opened the top of the rice cooker and used the wooden paddle to scoop plain rice straight into his mouth. The carbohydrates always made him feel better, but Kek was right. He was exhausted. The monsters were becoming difficult to fight. Opening a portal, destroying fiends, and then spending hours in the Shadow Realm were all taking their toll on Ryou's body. The Shadow Realm wasn't meant for the living, but he couldn't bare the thought of leaving Kek behind. Not only would it be wrong, but Ryou couldn't stand the thought of not being able to talk to Kek, to kiss him, to take brief naps in his arms, to curl up beside him while they watched horror movies together, to talk for hours about Monster World as they painted figurines, to play marco-polo in the Shadows. All those hours, all those hours Ryou so desperately had wanted to fill were now brimming full and joyous to him. To lose that would feel like dying.

Ryou opened up his fridge, pulled out a can of iced coffee, and chugged it before finishing off the rice. A knock on the door made Ryou wince. He wanted to find something else to eat, and then sleep through the night, but he knew better than to ignore to knock. There was only one person who'd really bother to check up on him.

And there that person was, Yugi Motou, standing in the hallway and looking up at Ryou with huge, violet eyes.

"Hi Yugi!" Ryou put on his best smile.

"Hey Ryou. Still feeling sick?"

Ryou's last excuse for being pale and exhausted.

"No, I'm feeling much better now, thankyou! I'm sure in another week or two I'll be back to 100%."

Yugi gave Ryou a doubtful look.

"Forgive me." Ryou bowed and then opened the door wider. "Please come inside. I'm being rude."

Yugi paused a moment, hesitant, but then entered Ryou's apartment and sat on the sofa.

"I'll make tea."

"Oh please don't bother." Yugi stood up. "You've been sick. I could make it."

"Nonsense. I'm better now. Sit down, please. I'll only be a moment."

As Ryou boiled water, he rummaged the counters. He ate a banana, and a handful of pitted dates, almonds, chocolate covered raisins, and washed it all down with another can of sugary coffee.

"Ryou are you okay?" Yugi peeked in from the living room. Only one eye showed through the crack in the door and it reminded Ryou of Kek, making his entire chest hurt and his throat tight.

"Of course." Ryou forced the words out of his mouth despite his constricting throat.

Yugi tip-toed into the kitchen, walking straight to the whistling kettle and fixing two cups of green tea. He pressed a cup into Ryou's hands, and Ryou held his breath as he felt the scalding sting soak into his hands which were still cold from the Shadow Realm.

"Are you going to tell me why you look so sad?"

Ryou shook his head no, allowing the steam from the tea to wash over his face before taking a quick sip.

"Did you get into a fight with your girlfriend?"

Ryou's eyes shot open. "Girlfriend?"

Yugi looked bashful, hiding behind his own tea cup. "Come on, Ryou. I saw the hickies last time I saw you."

"Um," Ryou blushed, decided to tell as much of the truth as he could since Yugi already figured that much out. "Not a girlfriend. His name is Kek."

"Kek?" Yugi made a face. "Where's he from? Not Japan."

"No, Egypt." Ryou gave Yugi a nervous laugh. "Isn't that kind of funny? It's like Egypt keeps popping up in our lives."

Yugi gave him a warm smile. "I don't think it's funny, really. It makes me happy, like I'm still connected to Atem." Yugi sat down. "So Egypt. Is that why you're tired? Do you stay up all night talking to him?"

Ryou nodded, sitting beside Yugi in the adjacent chair. "We visit when we can, but it's not enough, and neither of us can live where the other is." Ryou's face crumpled, revealing more than he wanted. "It's breaking my heart a little."

"I'm sorry, Ryou." Yugi reached over and squeezed Ryou in a tight hug. "Don't give up though. I'm sure things will work out."

"It's not that easy, Yugi."

"I never said it'd be easy, just that it'd work out."

Ryou exhaled. "Yeah, I'll do my best, okay?"

Yugi scuffled Ryou's hair. "Get some sleep."

"Yeah, he refused to talk to me again until I do." Ryou chuckled, wishing it was only a matter of miles and passports that separated him from Kek.

"Oh good, I'm glad he's looking out for you, too." Yugi made a playful fist, tapping Ryou's shoulder with it. "Otherwise I'll have to kick his ass."

"Sure, Yugi." Ryou snorted.

"Okay, okay, but I could get Jounouchi to kick his ass."

"Yeah, that sounds more accurate." For more reasons than Ryou could explain. "Although, I don't know, Kek is pretty buff. I'd rather no one fight him."

"You'll have to show me a picture some time!"

"Y-yeah, maybe sometime. He has a scar on his face, so he's kind of shy about that sort of thing."

That was a lie. Kek loved his scar. Ryou had take a picture on his cellphone and showed it to Kek, who had gotten excited about both the scar, and how he looked with the patch around his eye.

"Well, no rush! Maybe once you guys have been together a little longer."

Ryou didn't have the heart to tell Yugi that it'd already been six months.

* * *

Kek had a sleeping bag that Ryou'd given him so he could be warm in the darkness. He also taught Kek a simple protection spell so he could sleep in peace. Kek spent most of his time away from Ryou sleeping. There wasn't much else to do in the Shadow Realm, and the less energy he spent, the less he needed to eat to keep his ba up.

But no matter how Kek twisted, or how he angled his arms and legs, he couldn't fall asleep. This was the longest he and Ryou had been apart in months, and he missed him. Kek gave up, rolling up his sleeping bag and stowing it into his backpack.

"Kek!"

He looked up and saw a white angel running at him in the darkness.

"Ryou!" Kek dropped his bag and started running.

They crashed together. Kek held Ryou's head as Ryou dug his fingers into Kek's waist.

"I missed you," Ryou sighed through their kisses.

"Mmm-issed, mmmm, you …" Kek couldn't finished the sentence as he dragged his lips along the corner of Ryou's mouth.

Ryou's tongue gave Kek's bottom lip a quick lick. Kek moaned, his body started shivering but he wasn't cold.

"Kek," Ryou whispered Kek's name into his mouth, and his knees crashed down to the shadowed floor, bringing Ryou down with him.

One hand continued to cradle the back of Ryou's head, but the other slid down and braced the small of Ryou's back. Ryou knelt half straddled across Kek's right quad as he pulled their bodies as close as possible. Their tongues touched and retreated. Their lips were slick but they kept going. Ryou's fingers started tugging harder at Kek's shirt, then they were working the material up so Ryou could clutch Kek's bare sides.

Kek groaned at the feeling of Ryou's fingers kneading at his ribs. Ryou hadn't touched him like that since the first day when he'd healed Kek's injuries. Kek slipped his own hand up Ryou's shirt, tracing the smooth skin, gliding his fingers up and down Ryou's spine.

Ryou grunted between kisses. They were pressed as close as possible, but Ryou kept tugging at Kek's hips as if trying to draw them closer still. His hand slid up, kneading the muscles in Kek's chest, fingers twisting at Kek's nipples until Kek was whining into Ryou's mouth even as Ryou sucked on his bottom lip.

He hitched forward. His hips suddenly had a mind of their own and they wanted to thrust. Ryou gasped as their groins slid against each other through their pants, and again Kek remembered what that day had felt like as Ryou had erased most of his scars.

Ryou grated his nails down Kek's chest and he was done. That sharp sting of pain flooded over with euphoria was more than he could take. He freed his hand from Ryou's shirt, grabbing his ass and jerking his hips forward as he pulled Ryou against him. The front of their pants rubbed together, and behind their pants, their cocks.

"Yes!" Ryou screamed, destroying the eerie mood the shadows created with his blatant, fierce pleasure.

They couldn't focus enough to kiss. Ryou rested his forehead against Kek's shoulder, hands still beneath his shirt and grabbing, clutching, clawing. Kek hitched again, growling as instinct consumed him. He started working his hips in circles, scooping up and then dropping back down so he could scoop up again.

"D-damn. Yes." Ryou nipped at Kek's neck, which spurred Kek to go faster.

Kek's loins felt hot, tight, and desperate. He pushed harder, faster. It was as good as that day, at first, but the more they moved, the more Kek needed to move, and the hot, intense pleasure aching between his legs was much much more than magic ever was.

Ryou tore off his belt and then Kek's so he could lower their zippers and get more friction directly where they both wanted it. They pushed hard, faster against each other. It was awkward because of their position, and desperate, but they couldn't stop, not even to resituate. After a few more frantic minutes, Ryou began screaming and arching his back. The sound of it, the feel of it, sent a stab of ecstasy right through Kek's core. Ryou went limp in Kek's arms.

For a moment terror stopped Kek from breathing. He stopped thrusting to look at Ryou's face.

"Ryou?"

"Yeah?" Ryou gave Kek a sleepy, happy grin.

"It almost felt like you died in my arms." He exhaled in relief when he realized Ryou was okay.

"S-sorry." A strong blush covered over Ryou's entire face. "I-I couldn't hold it back any longer. Here, I'll help you."

Ryou slipped his hand down the front of Kek's boxers. Kek squealed when Ryou started stroking Kek erect again- his erection half-lost because he'd gotten worried. It only took a few quick strokes of Ryou's hand before Kek was hard again, and flushed. Then it was only a matter of minutes before Kek screamed Ryou's name into the black, black shadows. He quivered and then dropped, suddenly boneless himself.

"That was better than healing," Kek muttered, curled up on his side on the dark floor.

"I have some napkins." Ryou pulled several from the top of his picnic basket so they could clean up. "Give me your pants and I'll wash them and bring them back tomorrow."

Kek hummed in agreement, but waited until he caught his breath before he changed into his spare clothes and gave his old ones to Ryou. They ate sandwiches and cake, and played solitare together, Ryou sitting in Kek's lap so they both had a good view.

Kek couldn't help nuzzling into Ryou's hair as they played, more interested in Ryou than the game.

"What happens when I grow old and die?" Ryou asked.

"You go to the Tribunal and have your heart weighed against an ostrich feather?" Kek answered the question as if it were a question of his own because he didn't think that was the answer Ryou wanted.

"I meant what happens to you?"

"Oh … I guess I stay here as long as I can, until Zorc finds me again. Then I won't exist anymore."

"I can't let that happen." Ryou shook his head. "I have to find a way to bring you back."

"You're exhausted enough as it is."

"Let's make a deal, then."

"Careful making a deal with the devil." Kek kissed the back of Ryou's head.

"That's my line." Ryou leaned back against Kek's chest. "I'll stay home one day a week and get some extra sleep, but during that day I also get to try more advanced summoning spells."

Kek frowned. "What's the catch?"

There was a long pause, then Ryou exhaled. "I might have to hurt myself to make some of the spells work."

"No. Fucking no. I'll jump into a dragon's mouth before I let you do that!"

"Then I'm staying here and we can be destroyed together!"

"Ryou." Kek turned Ryou's face and kissed Ryou's forehead. "Ryou," he whispered, kissing Ryou's cheek. "Ryou."

The kiss Kek placed on Ryou's lips was softer than baby ostrich down, as were the kisses that followed.

"Ryou, I love you." Kek kissed him again. "I love you in so many ways that I can't even describe them all. That's why you can't hurt yourself for me."

"I love you too," Ryou slammed his eyes shut. "That's why I have to try. Please ... please trust me. I won't do anything extreme."

"You're too much like the damn Spirit that was in the Ring. You'd tear yourself to pieces for me just like he would have for Marik."

"I don't think that's a bad thing."

"Ryou, I know, _I know_ , that it seems worth using the darkness for extra power. I know better than anyone." He grabbed Ryou's hand and pressed Ryou's fingers against the purple cloth covering the scar where Kek's other eye used to be. "But in the end, this is all the darkness will do to you."

"But I'm going to do it anyway." Ryou opened his eyes, but looked away. "And because I can heal my injuries you'll never even know."

"I'll know," Kek said.

"How will you know?"

"You won't look at me, like you're not looking at me now."

That forced Ryou to look up. His expression looked grief-broken.

"Then let me do this with permission so I don't have to hide it."

Kek sighed. This time he closed his eye. He couldn't stop Ryou from doing anything, not when he was trapped in the gods-forsaken Shadow Realm.

"Two days. You have to take two days a week to rest, and you can only work on spells one of those days. The other one is for resting only."

"But I already miss you so much that it hurts."

"Me too, but what good is that if you pass out?"

"Fine. Deal." Ryou exhaled in frustration.

Kek bumped his forehead playfully against Ryou's. "You should go home and sleep now."

Ryou gave his head a stubborn shake to say no.

Kek sighed. "Will you at least take a nap with me?" Kek lowered his voice until it was sleepy and a little teasing. "You wore me out."

Ryou smiled. "Yeah, we can nap together."

They pulled Kek's sleeping bag out and set up a rudimentary camp. Kek wrestled his hair into a bun so Ryou could be the big spoon without getting stabbed in the face with yellow spikes. They settled down and Kek felt himself relax the instant Ryou's arms wrapped around him.

"This is all I want. I don't want immortality, or infinite power, or wealth, or fame. I just want to hold you at night when I sleep," Ryou whispered.

"That'd be nice." Kek smiled. "But even like this I can't forget how lucky I am … even as broken and corrupted as I was, even in a dark, forsaken place like this, I was able to meet you, and fall in love…"


	4. Chapter 4

Ryou screamed. Pain seared through the veins of his left arm as the veins shriveled and his skin turned gray. Sacrifice was needed for the kind of power he wanted. His vision blurred, but Ryou forced his eyes to stay open and waited until the spell was over before he even dared to blink.

In the end nothing appeared in the summoning circle, and Ryou crashed to the floor, in tears long after he'd healed the damage to his arm. The pain was too much, he hurt all the time, and still there was no Kek for him to hold at night.

It'd been three months since Ryou tried darker spells, and nothing worked.

"Kek," Ryou moaned as he lay curled against the floor, tears pouring down his cheeks.

He fell asleep that way, woke up cold and sore, and starving from using too much magic. Ryou stumbled to the kitchen where another pot of rice waited for him. He tried to smile. At least he could eat all he wanted without getting fat since he burned so much energy through magic, but he'd rather be able to sit on a couch and eat popcorn with Kek while watching a movie without worrying about a damn Giant Rat attacking them right before the ending.

After the rice, Ryou grabbed two chocolate bars and stumbled to his room. His bed waited for him, unmade and piled with crumpled sheets and blankets that hadn't been washed in weeks. Ryou's fatigue-plagued eyes scanned the room. The herbs were wilting, and his figurines each wore little dust jackets, and the curtains hadn't been opened in two weeks.

Ryou sighed as he shuffled his feet towards the bed. He'd sleep, then eat his chocolate and get up to clean his apartment. He'd spent too much time with the dark arts, and he knew it was killing him. Not quickly like a knife, or even moderately like a disease, no, black magic killed in the same way that depression killed, slowly, hour by hour grinding the victim down until they just gave up.

A voice in his head screamed against it- screamed and screamed and screamed. Ryou crawled beneath a blanket pile and swore to clean after he slept for an hour or two.

He slept until morning and woke up ravished. He attacked the chocolate like he was something feral that came from the Shadows. Ryou forced himself out of bed. He was still hungry and had to pee, so he had no choice but to get up.

The first thing he did was open his curtains and window let light and fresh air into his room. That, Ryou knew, was the first step to casting out the shadows building around him.

Next he went to the bathroom, and then into the kitchen and cooked a proper breakfast. After he ate, he loaded up the dishwasher and watered his plants, opening windows as he went. He didn't have time to clean anything else, but that was a start.

Ryou had work to do. Fortunately he worked at home from his computer. He also had to go to the grocery store to restock on food for both himself and Kek. After the store, he was exhausted again and had to sleep for three more hours before he got up to cook himself and Kek dinner. He made fried pork cutlets with potatoes and skillet apple sauce. He packed it with more fruit and chopped up vegetables with hummus to dip them in. Ryou also brought a small cooler filled with mochi and an extra pint of ice cream for each of them.

The closer it got to time to see Kek, the better Ryou felt. He knew he needed the extra sleep, but sometimes he felt like the extra days hurt him more than helped. Not from love sickness, Ryou was rather sure that he was in love at this point, but he could go a night without Kek- if Kek lived down the street or in the next town or even in Egypt. But the fact that he was trapped in the Shadows wrought Ryou with anxiety. He feared, each time he opened the portal, that he'd find nothing more than scraps of clothes instead of his beloved.

Ryou tossed rice and water into his rice cooker, forgetting salt, and rushed to his bedroom where the sigils stayed on the floor. Ryou raced through the black, searching for Kek.

He saw him walking towards Ryou with his head swinging from his clenched fist. He used his own blonde spikes as a handle as he strolled through the Shadow Realm.

Ryou stopped, blinking.

"Hey Ryou!" The severed head shouted, cheerful despite the blood dripping from his neck.

"Did … did something happen, or …"

"It's an illusion." Kek laughed, tossing his own head right at Ryou.

Ryou dropped his basket and cooler and caught Kek's head.

"How about a kiss?" Kek winked, tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth.

"That's fucking sick!" Ryou cheered, spinning in a circle with Kek's head.

He stopped and brought Kek's face up to his own, kissing him with open eyes so he could watch.

"You're supposed to be afraid." Kek laughed when Ryou pulled away.

"This is the coolest thing you've ever done. Why didn't you show this to me sooner?"

"I didn't want to freak you out."

"Me? Really? You should know better." Ryou started giggling.

He kissed Kek again, their kisses started quick, absence having turned their hearts fonder just like the cliche always warned. After a moment their pace slowed down. Ryou sighed into Kek's mouth, but then his eyes widened and he pulled back.

"Will the blood stain my clothes?"

Kek chuckled. "No, I told you it was an illusion."

"I can't stop thinking about what your severed head would look like between my legs." Ryou laughed, blushing at his own playful statement.

Kek's eye went out of focus and he licked his lips. "You want to?"

Ryou giggled, face flushing a darker red. "Seriously? Let your severed head give me a blow job?"

"You gave me head last time. I need to return the favor."

Ryou couldn't blush any darker, but he wanted to. They'd been sticking to handjobs and making out for a long time, but the other day Ryou'd gotten excited and started kissing down Kek's chest and hadn't stopped.

Ryou started laughing harder. "So you're going to give me head twice!"

Kek rolled his eye, ruining much of the horror of the moment. Kek's body laid down the sleeping bag for them to lay on, and then took his own head back so that Ryou could take off his clothes. He sat on the sleeping bag, naked and with legs spread, and stole Kek's head out of his hands.

"You don't think this is weird, do you?" Ryou asked.

"I don't really know what normal is, but I think this is going to be fun."

Kek's body knelt between Ryou's legs. He started caressing up and down Ryou's thighs, forcing Ryou to gasp as the roughness of his hands rubbed against Ryou's sensitive skin. Ryou guided Kek's head down, to his neck, to his chest, to his belly. Ryou stayed flushed the entire time as he watched Kek run his long, wild tongue along Ryou's body. His hair made for perfect handles, and Ryou clutched at the spikes as Kek continued to lick and bite Ryou's corpse-white skin.

"I probably need a therapist for enjoying this." Ryou rolled his eyes back as Kek bit into his tender, inner thigh.

"I could tie you up so you could pretend you didn't have a choice," Kek teased.

"That might actually be fun." Ryou tilted his head up for a better view. "Gods, I could scream my throat raw in the Shadow Realm and never get a single complaint from a neighbor."

It was strange to see a severed head blush, but Ryou liked the sight of it.

Kek licked up Ryou's shaft, already a hard. Ryou's eyes slammed shut on instinct as he screamed from the amazing jolt that shot through him just from Kek's _tongue_ touching Ryou's hard flesh. He forced his eyes opened just in time to see Kek's mouth open wide. Kek's hands rose up to guide his own head down Ryou's cock. Both of them helped Kek's head bob up and down over Ryou's cock until the thick white pillar of flesh gleamed with Kek's spit. Ryou's head lulled back again. He kept his eyes half open, but could only see violet-black Shadows.

"Gods, Kek, this is too good. Gods, I'm going out of my mind."

Ryou's words switched to excited screams when Kek decided to start sucking harder and moving faster. His mouth disappeared from Ryou's cock, making Ryou whine in a fit of selfish need. Kek only laughed at him, sticking his knapsack behind Ryou's shoulders like a pillow so Ryou could relax and see at the same time.

"Oh, thanks." Ryou grinned, eyes lidded and eager to start again.

Kek gave him a similar look, but went back to kissing Ryou's thighs instead. Ryou hissed, wanting to rip Kek's head out of his hands and put it where he _wanted it_. With or without the illusion, Ryou wanted Kek's long tongue lapping at his cockhead again.

Kek reached out said tongue, and used it to rolled Ryou's balls, sucking at them and pulling them one at a time into his mouth.

"Keeek!"

Kek's hands lowered his head, and Ryou felt a shock of warmth against his asshole.

"Holy shit!" Ryou shrieked. "Oh fuck! Oh fuck! Don't fucking stop! Oh my fucking god!"

Ryou wasn't sure which god he was screaming to, or if it was even a Egyptian or Japanese one, he just wanted that warm, delicate tickle against his asshole to go on forever. His pants grew ragged and his thighs quivered. Each lick felt like a miracle against Ryou's skin, and thus he called out to god for a second time.

Then Kek pressed his entire tongue into Ryou's ass, and Ryou clawed at his own thighs, leaving pink trails behind as he screamed out _ohs_ until the sound lost all meaning. Kek licked up to Ryou's perineum, and teased his balls once again, giving Ryou a moment to catch his breath, but then he dove back to Ryou's ass and Ryou screamed all over again.

He glanced up, blinking his solitary, violet eye and grinning with his tongue still hanging out. His hands held up his head, Ryou's were now gripping the sleeping bag below him. Ryou's mind couldn't separate where the creepy oddness ended and the arousing gorgeous sight of his lover between his legs began.

Then Kek's mouth was on Ryou's cock again, and Ryou tugged at his hair and encouraged Kek to move fast, fast, fast, yes, please, faster-

Ryou's thighs squeezed on each side of Kek's ears. He couldn't watch anymore; his entire face was screwed into a knot of ecstasy as he came. When he managed to open his eyes again, Kek was back to normal, body and head attached together again. His eye was bright, so were his cheeks, and his lips were dark from friction and glimmering with saliva. Kek wiped his mouth, reducing the shine, but not the rich color of them or their plumpness.

Ryou only gasped as he watched him, still a little out of his mind.

"You should finish," Ryou whispered, wanting Kek to feel as good as he'd made Ryou feel.

Kek grinned, arching an eyebrow. He slipped his shirt off, and wiggled out of his pants. Kek straddled Ryou's legs, giving him a good view as he grabbed his thick, bronzed cock and began to stroke it.

But Ryou had more in mind than that, so he hitched up as much as he could with Kek straddled over him. He ran his bone-white fingers up his stomach and chest.

"Kek, you can have me- if you want to."

"Y-you mean-" Kek started breathing heavily. He couldn't finish the sentence.

Ryou pushed himself up on his forearms. "No pressure! If you're not ready, I could just give you another blow job, or watch you. I-I just thought, since you said that first day that you wanted to try it … that maybe it was a good time?" Ryou blushed. "I feel really good right now. I'd like you to feel the same."

"We're in the Shadow Realm!" Kek shouted.

"You just gave me a rim job!"

"Y-yeah, but, well, okay, that's a good point. I-" his darker complexion couldn't hide the fact that he was blushing as hard as Ryou at that moment. "I wish we had a bed … I wish I could make this as special as you deserve."

"Kek." Ryou smiled and brushed his fingers down Kek's cheek as he tried to think of what he could do to help.

Ryou gasped as an idea came to him. He used a spell similar to summoning his little light dragon, only this time it was dozens of fake fire flies circling around them and winking.

"Did you make these?" Kek started at the sudden flicks of light, but then he looked up in wonder at them.

"You're not the only one that can cast illusion spells." Ryou grinned.

"You're amazing," Kek whispered.

"I can't do anything about a bed, though."

"No, no, this is good." Kek turned back to Ryou, pressing their foreheads together. "This is beautiful."

"There's a hidden pocket in your backpack with a bottle of lube in it."

"Really?" Kek looked at Ryou, grinning. "You're awfully prepared for this."

Ryou bit his bottom lip. "Well, I figured it'd happen eventually, so I wanted to be ready when it did."

"Sneaky." Kek grabbed his bag, trying to find the hidden bottle.

Ryou gave him a moment before showing him where it was.

"Sneaky," he repeated.

Kek set the bottle next to them and held the back of Ryou's head, lowering him down onto the sleeping bag and laying on top of him so that their bodies stacked flushed against each other. He started to kiss Ryou, and Ryou closed his eyes. Twinkles from the fireflies lit up even behind Ryou's closed eyelids.

Ryou felt light and giddy as they kissed. He imagined light pouring from his body and breaking up the Shadows in the same way dawn broke up a winter morning's fog. Kek gave Ryou's bottom lip a playful scrape of his teeth and Ryou complimented him with a seductive growl. They began frotting. Kek was long and hard between Ryou's legs, and Ryou's cock was already starting to recover from his earlier orgasm. Their lips would part long enough for them to catch their breath, or each time Kek jerked hard against Ryou's groin to make him gasp, but for the most part, they maintained contact the entire time, panting through their noses so they could breathe and kiss both at once.

Once the bulk of Ryou's erection returned, Kek grabbed the lube and drizzled it over their cocks. They both sucked in sharp breaths as the gel chilled them, but Kek's warm hands spread the lube up and down both of them and by the time he finished, Ryou was fully hard.

Kek started to kiss Ryou's neck, stopping only to whisper little snatches of song lyrics in a language Ryou could neither identify nor understand, but he knew by Kek's tone, and by the reverent way he whispered against Ryou's skin, that they were love songs.

Then he slipped a finger up to the first knuckled into Ryou's body. Ryou held his breath, waiting, but Kek only continued to kiss at Ryou's collarbone with the tip of his finger inside.

"It's okay," Ryou whispered, propping himself up by his elbows.

"Have you ever done this before?" Kek asked, his nervousness clear in his tone.

"No," Ryou confessed.

"Me neither." He pushed into the second knuckle. "I want to go slow."

"Then go slow." Ryou kissed his temple. He tried to relax, but clenching was a reflex, especially when Kek shoved his finger the last of the way inside.

Kek pushed in a little deeper, and Ryou's heartbeat sped up. It was a strange feeling, but it also sent a shiver up through his cock. Then Kek pulled out all the way and Ryou exhaled. Kek grabbed the lube, saturating Ryou's entrance before sticking his finger back inside. This time he pushed in all at once and Ryou gasped.

"Did that hurt?" Kek asked.

"No, it's a little funny. Have you ever hit your elbow? It's like that, only it's kinda hot, too."

Kek gave Ryou an incredulous look.

"What? That's the best way I can describe it."

Kek looked down and started to pressed in and out, but only a little bit, still trying to accustom Ryou to the feeling of having something inside him. Ryou squirmed a little, both the funny sensation and the arousing sensation intensified. Kek shoved completely in again and started to wiggle his finger, and _that_ did something. Ryou's breaths grew short. Kek seemed to notice and experimented more. Then he curled his finger upward and caused an excited squeak to fly out of Ryou's mouth.

"Did that hurt?"

"No." Ryou shook his head.

He repeated the action and Ryou's breath hitched. Kek pulled out again, adding more lube to his fingers and then pressing two in, hooking up with both of them and making Ryou toss his head back.

" _Ah_!"

"Is that good?"

"Yes." Ryou closed his eyes and moaned and Kek continued to stimulate him.

Kek moved a little more freely, nibbling on Ryou's shoulder as he fingered Ryou. Ryou spread his legs a little wider, trying to encourage Kek with the gesture. The fireflies grew brighter around them. Ryou wasn't changing them on purpose, but the more Kek touched him, the more Ryou's magic naturally intensified.

Kek shifted, positioning his cock closer to Ryou's entrance. With his free hand, Kek guided the tip against Ryou's skin, just below his fingers. Then he pulled his fingers out and replaced them with his tip pressing gently against Ryou's opening, not enough to penetrate, but enough to make Ryou swallow in anticipation.

Kek gave Ryou a final kiss. It was so sweet that it almost hurt Ryou's soul- because he knew they were still in the Shadow Realm- because Kek deserved better- because the remnants of the fiend Kek once was had vanished, and the person that took its place was someone the others would have liked, but they'd never get a chance to know him- because the kiss was the most sincere, honest thing that Ryou had ever experienced in his entire life.

Then he added pressure, and Ryou felt himself opening up and swallowing Kek's cock all at once. Ryou was still propped up, but he rose a little higher, groaning and trying to process the overwhelming sensations all attacking him at once. There was the feeling of Kek panting against his shoulder, the tickle of his own hair against his back, a raw friction that was too much and just right.

"H-h-holy Ra," Kek gasped, panting.

"It's good?" Ryou asked, still trying to process his own sensations.

"You're sooo tight and warm." Kek moaned, licking his lips and shutting his eye to savor the moment. "Can I move?"

"Of course." Ryou smiled that Kek even asked, but he appreciated the sentiment.

Kek slid out and glided back in. It made Ryou shiver. He felt like he was going to split open from Kek's width, but the back and forth motion sent gorgious shivers through Ryou's entire body.

"Ryou," Kek moaned, enraptured with the moment.

Ryou reached up and threaded his fingers through Kek's hair, pulling gently. Kek moaned at the gesture, so Ryou tugged harder, making Kek moan louder. He was moving slow, whimpering each time his pushed in. Ryou rode out each thrust, relaxing, releasing Kek's hair, and laying fully onto his back.

Kek ebbed and flowed like golden waves against a white sand beach. The sweat on their skin flashed with the light of enchanted fireflies and the darkness beyond couldn't touch them. The longer they moved, the more the awkward pressure of being filled became pure pleasure. Ryou's moans grew louder, throaty, wanton, as Kek continued to whimper.

A hard thrust had Ryou digging his nails into Kek's shoulders, clawing down the healed skin and causing fresh welts to form. Kek growled deep in his throat, picking up his pace and Ryou continued to claw at his back. He couldn't help it, hardly thought of it, each thrust was needed and Ryou clawed out of deep-rooted instinct.

"I'm close!" Ryou shouted, nails sinking deeper into flesh.

Kek leaned heavily against Ryou's body, using the weight shift to free up his right hand so he could knead at Ryou's cock. Ryou wailed, eyes slammed shut and mind incapable of cognitive thought.

The pleasure kept climbing, kept mounting. Ryou thought at any moment he'd burst because he couldn't possibly climb any higher, but there was always a little more and a little more and he didn't even realize he was coming until he body went slack and everything tingled in the aftermath. Kek was huge and swollen inside of him, thick and twitching, and Ryou knew he was experiencing the same climb. Then his gentle whimpers became great, orgasmic roars as he rode out his orgasm.

Afterward they lay in each other's arms and watched the fireflies dance above their heads.

"I never thought about making something beautiful before," Kek said, flecks of gold reflecting in his plum colored iris.

"I could make monsters, too, but what's the point in the Shadow Realm?"

"Yeah, a little bit redundant."

"I'm starving." Ryou sat up. "Let's eat dessert first."


	5. Chapter 5

Kek had a small, old mp3 player that Ryou had given him, along with several back up batteries (that Ryou would switch out and charge for him). A battery didn't last that long in the Shadow Realm, but one of Kek's favorite things to do was dance in the darkness. He taught himself to summon little light phantoms like Ryou could, fireflies, wolves, lions big enough for Kek to ride through miles of black and shadow. Currently a phoenix flew around him, dancing with him.

She looped-de-looped as Kek spun with _Danse Macabre_ screaming in his ears. They twirled together, the spell's light making Kek glow. He struggled to control his breath as he moved, waiting until the end to gasp and wipe sweat away from his brow. He was about to start dancing to the "Devil's Trill Sonata" when a white shape in the gloom caught his eye.

"Ryou!" Kek started running.

He could tell by the way Ryou swayed that something wasn't right. He looked like an extra in a George Romero movie. Hair hung down Ryou's face, and the circles under his eyes were the color of charcoal smudged on white paper. Kek scooped him up in his arms and ran back to where his backpack and sleeping bag waited.

"Ryou?"

"I'm … I'll be okay," Ryou whispered between shallow breaths.

"Were you attacked? Are the monsters still there? I'll fucking kill them!"

"Kek, shhhh, don't yell. My head hurts…" Ryou started sobbing.

Kek crushed him to his chest. He rubbed Ryou's head, but he feared that wasn't why Ryou was crying.

"Everything hurts so much." Ryou trembled in Kek's arms. "It was too much. That last spell, I… I gave everything I could and then some more, but … it didn't work. You're still trapped here? Why didn't it work?" His tears became a torrent, face collapsing in grief, face swollen and red, hair sticking to his wet cheeks. "I don't know what else to do!"

"Break up with me." Kek started to rock Ryou in his arms, mind racing for any single way to help Ryou.

"What!"

"The Shadow Realm is destroying you. The spells are ripping you to pieces," Kek whispered, barely able to hear his own voice as tears slipped down only one cheek. "I'd rather die here than watch you sacrifice yourself trying to help me … Ryou, please."

"No!" Ryou scream, wiping at his nose with his sleeve as more tears flooded down his red face. "No! I'd rather stay here and die with you!"

Kek grabbed Ryou's shoulders, growling. "Don't you get it? This is what I deserve! I tried to sacrifice everything to the darkness and now I'm the sacrifice! But you don't deserve this! Go home! I - I hate y-"

He couldn't finish the words, voice cracking and breaking instead. It was such an abhorrent lie, but it was because it was a lie that Kek yelled it. He'd say or do anything to spare Ryou one more day in the Shadows. The year had taken its toll on his soul. No one had enough magic to survive this place forever, and Ryou had been carrying them both through the darkness.

And it terrified him, stark, primal terror, to think of life without Ryou. No more conversations, no more light from Ryou's magic, no more kisses that charged Kek's ka with power. The batteries in his mp3 player would die, his stomach would cramp with hunger, his throat tighten with thirst, and when he was weak enough, Zorc Necrophades would return, eat another chunk of him and let his fiends finish the job they failed at the first time.

That they only failed at because of Ryou.

None of that mattered. He'd go through much worse if it erased the shadows from beneath Ryou's eyes and restored him back to the angel that had strolled so casually through the darkness a year ago in order to save him.

"Then show it! Don't say it!" Ryou screamed, slamming Kek down into his sleeping bag and running his tongue across Kek's bottom lip. "Prove you hate me! Prove it and I'll leave!"

He kissed Kek again, forcing his tongue into Kek's mouth. It wasn't hard to force; Kek was always eager to taste Ryou. This was no exception despite their tears leaving a shocking salt taste in their mouths. Kek held his breath, trying not to moan and trying not to comb his fingers through Ryou's tangled hair.

"Bite my mouth," Ryou challenged between rounds of kisses. "Make me bleed, make me scream in pain. Slap me, strangle me. Don't tell me you hate me- show it through your actions!" He dropped down to Kek's throat and kissed along the side, and Kek threw his head back before he could think that he shouldn't. "Do a single thing that proves you hate me, and I'll leave forever."

It sounded like pillow talk, coming out of Ryou's mouth, as if he could somehow do all those things gently, and Kek was moaning now. Ryou's lips on his throat felt holy and sacred, and Kek's eye was closed as he moaned and clung to Ryou's back.

"Not fair," he managed to gasp as Ryou sucked hard against his neck, turning the skin beneath the color of the Shadows.

"Not fair?" Ryou hissed, biting, but Kek only moaned louder for it. "You said you hated me!" He bit again, and Kek became boneless in Ryou's arms.

"To save you," he whispered, trying his damndest not to caress Ryou's back, not to stroke his hair, not to switch the tilt of his head when Ryou attacked the other half of his neck.

"I. Don't. Want. To. Be. Saved."

The words gave Kek some control of himself. He grabbed Ryou's face and pressed their foreheads together. "I know. That's why I was trying to force you. You saved me when we first met. It's my turn."

"I don't want to be saved!" Ryou shrieked, a banche, a wild fay, something beyond Kek who was just now becoming human. "Don't you care what I want? Does my opinion mean nothing? Everyone's always trying to protect me- I don't need it!"

"What do you want?" Kek gasped again when Ryou shoved his hand in Kek's pants, stroking his bulging cock with slender, white fingers.

"To stay here with you! I want to stay here with you…"

Kek pulled Ryou's hand away, forcing them to look at each other. "You'll die!"

"So what? It's my life!"

"I'd rather rip my heart out of my chest and feed it to Zorc that watch you die!"

The tension slipped out of Ryou's body. He crumpled in Kek's arms.

"What does it matter, Kek? I went too far with the spell. The Shadows are already inside my soul. Even if I left and never came back, they'd still be there … drowning me. I'm already dead. Let me die with you."

There was a certainty in Ryou's tone that made Kek's blood turn into ice water. "Wh-what do you mean, Ryou?"

Ryou shrugged. "You know how dark magic works. You give your hand, and it takes an arm … you give your heart, and it takes your soul …"

Kek closed his eyes, nodding. He knew. He knew well.

Ryou crumpled to his hands and knees, staring down at the sleeping bag below them. "I couldn't save my mom and sister from death. I couldn't save the others when I was a child. I couldn't save the Thief from the Ring. Everyone I've ever tried to help is gone now, but I thought _this_ _time. This time_. It would be different. I'm stronger now. I can do it. I could save you." Fresh tears fell onto his hands and the green fabric below him. "I'm as stupid as the Thief. I let the darkness use me, and in the end I failed just like he did."

"Heal yourself." Kek begged, kneeling beside Ryou. "Like you did with me. _Save yourself_."

"I … can't." Ryou looked up with dark, wine-colored eyes. "I sacrificed my healing magic trying to bring you back. I can barely do anything now." Ryou looked away. "No more fireflies, I'm afraid."

"You're wrong," Kek said, surrounding them with dozens of twinkling lights, just as Ryou had.

Ryou gasped in wonder, sitting up and looking around him. "Kek, how did you...?"

"I taught myself. I've always been good with illusions." He sighed. "I learned how to do this, too." He held out his hands and a lotus made of light glowed in his palms. He passed the flower to Ryou.

"Oh Kek… I've never seen anything so beautiful."

"I was going to surprise you on our next date." Kek sighed again. "I was going to hand it to you … and tell you I loved you … and let you take me since I got to take you last time, I- I, um, wanted to make you feel as good as I did that day."

His face was fire, as if Ra was trying to seep out through his pores.

Ryou brought the flower close to his heart and held it.

"Teach me how to heal people, and I'll heal you," Kek said.

"Can I stay here? To teach you?"

"We'll run out of food."

"I'll go back for more food."

"You'll lose your job."

"I already put in for vacation time."

Kek couldn't help the sad chuckle that rattled his chest. "You took vacation time … for a trip to the Shadow Realm?"

"I like the locals," Ryou said, the corners of his mouth upturned.

"Ryou, are you really dying?"

"Not all at once. It's like a quicksand, only I'm sinking so slowly that no one would even notice until I was gone."

"Then there's time for me to save you."

"I don't think people can be saved. Not anymore. I've always failed at it."

"Let me try," Kek begged, hand resting on his knees curling into the material of his pants. "You learned how to draw in the darkness trying to save me. Let me learn how to harness light so I can try to save you."

Ryou reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a small knife, pulling it across the underside of his pale arm. The blood dripped like red paint. Kek heard things howl in the distance, the presence of blood calling to them in the darkness. Kek knew he didn't have much time to learn if he didn't want to fight and heal both at once.

"What do I do?"

"Place your hand over the cut. Yes, like that. Now it's like the fireflies and the flower. You pull the light into you and allow it to overflow into me."

"Those were illusions."

"No." Ryou shook his head, smiling. "Light is never an illusion. You just manipulated the shape, by yourself, without me teaching you. Now just let it fill you up instead of shaping it on the outside."

Kek exhaled and then sucked in a harsh breath. The air in the Shadow Realm was always cold in a strange way, not like during a frost where the breath puffed from your mouth, but in empty sort of cold in an empty sort of darkness, and there was no breath to show in the Shadows.

Nonetheless, Kek breathed, and as he breathed he calmed his fretting mind, allowing a warm, joyous feeling sink into his chest. He felt the energy slipped from his fingers and into Ryou's skin, sewing the cut together until only perfect white skin remained.

"I did it." Kek's jaw dropped, surprised and pleased. He feared he might not be human enough, but he had managed.

"Of course. I knew you'd be able to do it. Now let's try something more advanced." Ryou plunged the knife into his stomach.

"Ryou, what the fuck?" Kek screamed, pulling out the knife and throwing it so Ryou couldn't cut himself anymore.

"Taught myself … like this … a long time ago" He whispered, eyes going dull.

Kek embraced Ryou with one arm, using his free hands to press against the wound. It was harder this time, the cut was deeper and Kek was half-panicked which made filling himself with light damn near impossible. He told himself to calm down. He told himself to calm down. He told himself- but calm wasn't a switch you could flip- and the longer he fail, the more Ryou wheezed and sank away.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Ra, help, oh fuck." Kek squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath, trying to _will_ the light into his soul and failing. "Ra, please. Ra help."

Kek choked on his panic as Ryou lay heavy in his arms. He looked up, his fireflies were gone and only darkness surrounded him, and all he could think was that Ryou was _not_ going to die in his arms. Instead of holding his breath, he started sucking in deep, intentional inhales and exhales. He stopped concentrating on what would happen if he failed, and thought only of what he needed to accomplish. The light pooled inside him and flowed into Ryou. He couldn't bare to look for a moment, but eventually had to, and realized that the wound was closed. He'd done it.

"Never do anything that stupid again." Kek laid Ryou down.

"You worry too much. A wound like that is nothing compared to what I've been through."

Kek ground his teeth, cursing the Ring-Spirit and cursing Marik for ever treating Ryou as something disposable. Now he thought it was normal, to plunge a knife into himself for the sake of a goal. It was normal to him in the same way darkness and murder were normal to Kek and fucking damnit Kek wanted Ryou to see himself as above all that.

The light in his soul grew intense, almost painful to bear. He caressed Ryou's cheek, needing an outlet for the power inside him. Ryou's body drank it up, still hurting from whatever spell Ryou last used trying to bring Kek into the world.

He remembered Ryou doing more than healing his body. He had reached into his soul, cleansing Kek's chakras, filling in all the missing parts of his ba, and Kek vowed to do the same. Everything inside Ryou felt dark, damaged from Shadow Magic. Kek brought Ryou's scarred hand up to his lips, kissing the pink, gnarled flesh.

"Oh-oh-oh!" Ryou half sat, writhing and hitching his hips up. "Is that what it felt like? The first time when I healed your back?"

Kek looked up, confused, and then he remembered how Ryou's fingers felt on his scars. He grinned so huge that his tongue slipped out.

"Yes. Try to relax, this is about to get intense." He dragged his bottom lip across Ryou's scar, letting his _heka_ flower into Ryou's body and making Ryou flush and moan.

He kissed away the scar from Ryou's hand until it was nothing more than a birth mark. Next he pulled off Ryou's shirt and went to Ryou's opposite arm, kissing along the perimeter of the scar Bakura had given Ryou when they met Marik. Ryou flung his free arm around Kek's shoulders, squeezing as hard as he could.

"How do you feel?"

"Better," Ryou gasped, trying to buck against Kek's body.

He repositioned so that Ryou could get the pressure he wanted. Ryou rolled up, sending beautiful white fire streaking across Kek's nerves. Kek moved up to Ryou's face, kissing his cheeks, his temples, the bridge of his nose. Long after the bags below Ryou's eyes faded back to their usual porcelain gray color, Kek continued to kiss every piece of him, joy welling up inside Kek and making him giggle even as his lips pressed along Ryou's jawline.

"Please, kiss me," Ryou begged.

Kek was kissing him, every damn where, but he knew what Ryou wanted and brushed their lips together. The light exploded inside him, making them both sigh into each other's mouths. It was better, infinitely better than the first time, and the glow returned to Ryou's skin. Kek rested his forehead onto Ryou's chest, relieved that Ryou looked like himself again instead of a animated corpse.

As soon as Kek touched the scars on Ryou's chest, however, pain shot into Kek's mind. He pulled back, touching his forehead.

"They're from the Ring," Ryou said, touching the scars on his chest, then he touched the side of his face that mirrored Kek's eye patch.

Kek nodded, understanding. He sat up, straddling Ryou, and placed both hands over one of the scars.

"Wait!" Ryou tried to warn Kek, but he'd already made up his mind.

It was agony. The memory of the dark god that had ripped an eye from Kek's skull flashed in his mind. Kek huffed air out of his nostrils, but didn't let go. He touched each mark in turn. He couldn't heal them fully, but each mark became a flat, smooth disk instead of a knot of scar tissue.

Ryou panted hard; he looked post-orgasmic. Kek felt shaky. He'd never used so much energy before, or even knew it was possible to pull that much into existence. He pulled off his shirt, pressing their chests (their hearts) together. He could almost feel the golden tines piercing through his own chest, but that didn't stop him, pain could never stop him.

Ryou fumbled with Kek's pants. They both struggled to get unclothed. They flipped positions with Kek on his back and Ryou leaning over to Kek's bag to grab their bottle of lube. He went one finger at a time, going slow no matter how much Kek begged for him to hurry.

By the time Ryou entered, they were already sweating and gasping. He moved in tiny, easy thrusts, taking his time. Kek relaxed into the sleeping bag, enjoying the easy pace and pleasant feeling that crept across his body as Ryou moved.

Ryou sat up with a look on his face that made Kek think he'd left the stove on. "I didn't bring you any food! I'm so sorry!"

Kek smiled. "I'm fine. You always give me extra, and I ration it, so I have plenty to eat still."

"I'm sorry." Ryou's eyes shifted to Kek, thusting and leaning low to keep their bodies close.

"Ryou- _ahh_ \- I told you-"

"No, I mean." Ryou sighed. "I let it get to me, all the dark magic. I let myself give up. That's rather unforgivable … it seems like I'm never as strong as I think I am."

"You know what I've done," Kek said.

Ryou nodded. He looked at Kek; his expression melting like whipped cream in hot cocoa. They rocked back and forth, gazing at each other.

"Kek, I love you."

"I love you, too. I'm sorry I said I-"

"Shhh." Ryou quieted him with a hard thrust that made Kek gasp. Ryou slammed his hips forward once more before easing back to gentle rocking.

"Please, gods, don't stop. Don't ever stop." Kek's eyelashes fluttered.

They pressed their foreheads together and moved at a gentle, steady pace. Every moment felt like it's own sort of orgasm, and still they circled their hips together. In no hurry, wanting the moment to last forever, and it lasted a very long time, but eventually Kek felt light swell from within and he knew he was getting close, and just when he thought he couldn't feel any better, Ryou began to stroke him.

"Ryou… Ryou…" his hands fumbled down Ryou's back until he was kneading Ryou's ass and pushing him to go faster.

"Kek, you're going to make me come."

"Please. I'm so close. Please! Harder! R-Ryou! Ah-ahh-ahhhh!"

Kek felt waves of heat splashed onto his belly as he came. Ryou yanked at Kek's hair, and pounded faster, and climaxed seconds afterwards.

"Dear gods," Ryou gasped as he curled onto Kek's chest. "I've never felt magic like this before."

It was true, the fireflies around them not only returned the moment Ryou entered Kek, but had evolved throughout their love-making and were now entire galaxies swirling in the darkness. It was almost as if they'd just finished creating the universe together.

"No more dark spells?" Kek asked.

"No more dark spells." Ryou agreed. "I'm sorry I was so dumb."

"It's not dumb. The darkness always knows what you want and offers it to you. I remember."

"I promise I'll stick to white magic from now on."

"And still take two days to rest?"

Ryou sighed. "I will if you let me spend the entire night with you tonight. Just this once. Please let me stay in your arms without having to go home."


	6. Chapter 6

Ryou slept in Kek's arms just as he'd always wanted. They'd taken naps together plenty of times, but it wasn't quite the same as hour after hour of their bodies pressed together for an entire night's worth of sleep.

Ryou wasn't sure what time it was. The Shadow Realm always felt like midnight, but his biological clock thought it was pre-dawn, four or five in the morning. Ryou kept his eyes shut and buried his face in between Kek's shoulder blades. Just a little while longer. He'd have to leave a spend the day recovering- he could feel the negative effects of the Shadow Realm draining the energy Kek had given him- but Kek felt so _right_ pressed against Ryou that he couldn't force himself to let go.

Until another presence violated the sanctity of the moment. A dark, familiar presence that made Ryou's blood chill and the fine hairs stand up against his neck and arms. Ryou sat up and shook Kek's shoulder.

Kek burst into a sitting position with a start, eye wide and mouth hanging open.

"Get dressed," Kek said as he stumbled to his feet to do the same.

They were sticky and greasy from love-making. Dried come flaked on their bellies from Kek's orgasm, but they had no time to use the wet wipes Ryou kept stocked in Kek's backpack. Nor could they afford to eat or drink any of the food Kek had saved.

They dressed in a rush and ran through the darkness.

It was useless to run. Ryou felt Zorc's presence gliding beside them, toying with them, waiting…

He started to pull light into him to fight, but it wouldn't be enough. Anything else would be an easy nuisance to deal with, but this was Necrophades …

Ryou calculated odds. Finally he stopped running and pulled the backpack off of Kek's shoulders.

"Ryou? What are you-"

"No more dark magic. I promised, but there's one spell I can still do to save you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can trade one mind, body, and soul for another. I didn't use it before because I wasn't willing to sacrifice someone else, but-"

Ryou stopped. The darkness was taking shape behind them. Ryou shuddered in fear and closed his eyes to steady himself.

"I am strong. Kek, I'm strong. Please believe me. I'll be okay, so don't feel bad."

Kek shook Ryou by the shoulders. "Just run, Ryou! Run! Get out of the shadows! Go home and leave me!"

"Kek. I love you."

Ryou pushed Kek, and Kek disappeared, sent to the physical world instead of Ryou. Behind him, the darkness started laughing.

Ryou put up a magical shield and turned to face him.

* * *

Kek crashed onto Ryou's bedroom floor, smearing the ash and salt creating the portal and thereby ending the spell. Kek scrambled to his feet, wanting to plunge back into the darkness so he could save Ryou, or at least die with him. But there was no portal, no way to get back. Kek started at the symbols on the floor, but he wasn't sure how to fix what he'd ruined.

"No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No!" Kek paced back and forth while tugging his spikes of hair and trying to think of something to do.

There was nothing he could do.

"No! No! No!"

There was nothing he could do.

He was helpless, like that day, only there was no one for him to kill, and he couldn't protect Ryou from Zorc like he'd protected Marik from his father.

Kek ran. He slammed Ryou's door open, sprinted down the stairs, and raced into the streets. Desperate, so desperate, to do _something_. With only old, dream-like memories of Battle City and the Ghouls, Kek ran to the only person that might be able to help Ryou, someone who always managed to save his friends even when Kek himself had once killed one.

Dawn rose behind Kek as he ran towards the Kame Game Shop. He hadn't seen natural light in over five years and the orange, and pink, and yellow of the sky made him think of how much he loved Ryou, so his feet dug harder against the gray concrete as he pushed himself faster to the home of his greatest enemy.

Kek crashed against the door. He felt his forehead smack the wood and a burst of stars exploded behind his eyelids, but pain could never stop Kek and he pounded against the door until the sides of his fists were bruised.

" _Just a moment!"_ A startled voice called from inside.

With a click the door opened and Kek fell to his knees in tears, clawing at the front of Yugi's pajama top.

"Help him! Please! Help him! Gods, please do something."

He could tell Yugi was terrified. His purple eyes were enormous, and only shock kept Yugi from screaming.

"M-Marik?"

"No! Not anymore! It doesn't matter. I need help!"

"Help?"

"He traded places. He pushed me out of the Shadows to save me, but Yugi, he's still there. Ryou's still there fighting Zorc all by himself. I don't know what to do!"

He pulled so hard against Yugi's clothes that Yugi was forced to lean forward, but with Ryou's name, Yugi jerked back.

"Ryou? I-I don't understand."

"Quit being stupid!" Kek screamed, slamming both fists against the floor. "Ryou is in the Shadow Realm! Fighting Zorc! How do I save him?"

"I-I-I don't know." Yugi shook his head. "I don't know. I don't have the Puzzle, and the Pharaoh's gone."

"We have to do something!" Kek curled into a ball. He couldn't control his breathing as tears flooded his face. "I love him! Gods please don't let him die!"

"You? You're Kek?" Yugi asked as if he didn't believe his own words.

Kek nodded, his breaths were edging towards hyperventilation so he couldn't speak. He felt dizzy, but knew he couldn't pass out because the longer Ryou stayed in the darkness, the worse his chances were.

"Okay. Okay." Yugi let his hands fall into Kek's shoulders. "I think I understand now. Why Ryou's been so sick, and why he was so sad. You said he traded places with you?"

Kek couldn't breathe. His lungs were small and burning, and the world was spinning.

"Shhh, calm down, calm down," Yugi cooed. "We'll save him somehow, just - just give me a minute while I make a phone call-"

Yugi dashed out of the kitchen, leaving Kek alone to curl against the tiles and weep as he struggled to breathe . Everything spun away from him. He felt his chest fight for each breath and felt his nails clawing against the tiles below him, and felt tears so hot that he thought they were going to burn his last eye out of his skull.

Then a soft, warm blanket settled over his shoulders and a pair of hands stroked his hair. He managed to shove enough tears away from his good eye to see that Yugi was back.

"You can't help Ryou like this, so I need you to calm down," Yugi said in his own calm, but adamant voice.

It struck Kek at that moment how "Little Yugi" wasn't so little anymore. Not only was he taller, but his face had lost much of its doe-eyed softness. He wasn't even afraid of Kek anymore; he gave Kek a stern _we have work to do_ look that made Kek sit up.

"Good." Yugi nodded, handing him a purple box with a straw. "Here. Drink this. You were in the Shadow Realm all this time, right? You're probably hungry. Do you want some food?"

Kek nodded, but didn't have to voice to ask for anything. He felt guilty somehow, allowing Yugi to feed him. He wasn't a friend, and didn't quite have to right to a meal.

"Okay. Finish drinking that and then go take a shower. Get yourself collected. I'll cook some food and wash your clothes. Someone from the museum is coming over that may be able to help." Yugi paused, weighing an important decision by the lines of his face. "Neither of you are going to be happy to see each other, but it's the best we can do. I need you to promise you won't do anything violent."

"Who is it?" Kek felt his face tighten as a quivering hand squeezed at his empty juice box.

"I'll tell you after you've eaten and calmed down." To end the argument before it began, Yugi got up and started to pull things out of his refrigerator. "The bathroom is down the hall. You should be able to find it. Just toss your clothes by the door and I'll collect them in a minute."

Kek stood up. He stared at the juice box, not really knowing what to do with it, but then a trash can caught his eye and he shuffled over to it and dropped the box. He glanced at Yugi who was making a point to ignore Kek as he cooked.

"Th-thank you."

"I'm doing this to save Ryou."

"Of course." Kek dropped his head and went to look for the bathroom.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Yugi shouted from the kitchen as Kek walked down the hall.

"You meant it exactly like that." Kek dug his nails into his palms and stripped right in the hallway. He didn't care about being naked, and no one was around to see him.

The hot water was a guilty blessing against Kek's skin. He'd been in cold and dark for so long that he'd forgotten how much Marik had liked hot water once they'd escaped the tomb. Kek sighed, letting the jet from the showerhead sting his face and running his palms over his tangled mess of hair. It was a guilty blessing because- as much as he enjoyed the moment and as much as his body yearned for it- it was hard to relish the hot water and steam knowing that Ryou was still trapped in that cold and dark.

 _Unless Zorc already-_

No.

He couldn't allow himself to think like that. Kek had fought in the Shadows for five years without food before he met Zorc, and while Ryou wasn't in the best condition, he was better off than Kek had been. _And Ryou was strong_. _And Ryou was clever_. He'd had the Ring. Kek remembered from wearing it himself how much evil emanated from that one Item above all others. It had made the Rod feel like a toy in his hand, plastic instead of gold, harmless and innocent. And Ryou had worn it most of his life but never gave into that darkness.

Ryou was strong.

Ryou knew how to fight against Zorc.

Ryou was still alive. He'd find a way to escape and to survive.

Kek only needed a way to get to him. To save him. To make things right by putting Ryou back into the world where he belonged.

He scrubbed down his body and hair and dried himself. His clothes were gone, a folded bathrobe lay on the floor outside the bathroom instead. Kek put it on. It was too small for him, but covered him enough to be decent, so he made his way back to the kitchen.

Yugi poured tea into three cups. He looked up, seeing Kek, and nodded.

"Sorry it's small. Your clothes are in the dryer."

"Thank you," Kek muttered again, more out of year-long habit than any sincere gratitude.

"You keep saying thank you."

"It's polite." Kek snorted, sitting down where a single plate sat, assuming it was his.

"Did Ryou teach you?"

"It sure wasn't the Hellfire Fiends." Kek looked at the food, then at Yugi.

"Yes, that's yours." Yugi nodded, sitting down and taking his own cup in his hands. He stared at Kek while he ate.

"Can you not look at me? It's weird." Kek frowned, but he didn't stop eating.

"Sorry, it's just … weird, that you're sitting at my table."

Yugi had prepared a noodle dish filled with meat and vegetable scraps and doused in soy sauce. It wasn't as good as Ryou's cooking, but it was steaming with heat and glistening with pork fat, and Kek shovelled scoop after scoop into his mouth.

"I'm calm." Kek drank from his cup.

"I told him you seemed different. He didn't want to come, but, well I asked as a personal favor, so when you see him _don't fight_."

"Fuck." Kek gripped his chopsticks, snapping them before he could stop himself. "Fuck. Sorry, I didn't mean- is it Marik?" Kek asked.

He held the broken chopsticks. He wasn't doing a very good job pretending to be a normal person. It was his first meal at a table and he was already breaking things in anger, but the thought of Marik. _Marik_. He fucking hated his other half- the reason he was forced to spend the last five years in darkness- the reason he couldn't see out of half his face- and had Kek never been in the Shadows, Ryou wouldn't be there now.

"I mean, shouldn't he be back in Egypt? Why would he agree? Even for you? I know he sent me away, but trust me, he doesn't like you no matter how much he might have convinced himself after our battle."

Yugi scratched the side of his head. He looked nervous and it made the food toss around uncomfortably in Kek's belly.

"That's probably true. Marik doesn't really keep in touch, although he's always nice when we do talk," Yugi admitted. "But that's … not who I asked."

Kek frowned. He couldn't imagine who else Yugi would get to help them. Seto Kaiba? No, Kaiba would be useless. Then who?

"Then who-"

"Me," A quiet voice said from behind Kek. A stoic, soft, but strong voice that sometimes haunted Kek's nightmares.

He jerked to his feet and turned. Rishid stood in the doorway. Watching Kek, frowning at him, Kek could feel his condescending fucking judgment emanating from Rishid's stone-like gaze. He held out the largest piece of broken chopstick like a shiv.

"Kek! Don't!" Yugi screamed, spilling his tea across the table as he jumped to his feet as well. "He's here to help, remember? He's a tomb keeper. He's better at magic than I am. He's our best chance at saving Ryou."

"He would _never_ help me! Not even as a favor to you!"

Kek's grip shook with repressed rage. He was trying so hard, so fucking hard that it wasn't fair! But it wasn't even Ishizu. It wasn't even Marik. _It was him_!

"That's why I let him in while you were in the shower," Yugi explained, holding out his hands as if that could stop Kek from attacking. "He wanted to see for himself if you were different or not."

"And I failed your little test, didn't I? It wouldn't matter _how much_ I changed! I'll never been good enough for you! And you're right! I broke the chopsticks! And I want to stab you! I'm no fucking better than I was!"

His vision blurred, and he blinked, demanding himself not to cry. He needed to see. He couldn't plunge the broken stick into Rishid's carotid artery if his one eye was tear-blind.

"It's not fair! Ryou shouldn't be judged based on me!"

"You're right," Rishid said, his gaze still hard and cold on Kek. "That's why I came. That and to make sure you stay far away from Marik, so here's the deal. I'll help you save Ryou, and you go back into the darkness where you belong."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do." Kek snarled and used the back of his wrist to rub against his eye. "We don't need a deal for that. I never asked to be- saved- but- Ryou-"

Kek marched away, going back into the dark hallway near the bathroom where he felt safer. Kek dropped to his knees and pounded his already bruised hands against the soft carpet. He sniffled, crying but doing so as quietly as possible and hoping that the others couldn't hear him in the kitchen.

"Kek?" Yugi's voice asked from the end of the hallway.

"Go away." He continued to sniff.

"Shouldn't we go? Show Rishid Ryou's apartment? That way you can figure out how to get back to the Shadow Realm." Yugi set Kek's clean and folded clothes beside him.

"Yeah." Kek rubbed his face against the carpet to dry his tears and tied his purple eye patch back around his head. "I'm getting up."

Kek slipped out of the bathrobe and shimmied into his boxers.

"Y-you can change in the bathroom." Yugi squeaked and turned his head away.

"Why?" Kek asked as he put on his pants.

"So you can have some privacy."

"I don't care who sees me." Kek slipped his black t-shirt over his head and shook out his spikes of hair.

"Okay, but, uh- it's indecent, so don't change in front of people next time?"

"What does it matter if I'm going right back into the Shadow Realm? Demons' aren't exactly bashful."

Kek walked back to the kitchen where Rishid stood and waited.

"Don't you have shoes?" Yugi asked.

"I lost those years ago." Kek started at his bare feet.

"But the pavement is cold, and-"

"You don't care," Kek snapped. "You just want me gone, so let's go. I've been through worse than cold feet."

Kek went outside and walked as fast as he could. He hadn't even noticed the chilled ground in his previous panic, but Yugi was right. It burned all the way through the soles of his feet as they walked back to Ryou's. Kek grit his teeth, refusing to show that it bothered him.

"I'm trying, okay?" Yugi frowned as they walked. "You're not making it easy to like you."

Kek laughed. Once his laughter was manic and gleeful, now he only sounded tired and bitter. They marched towards the morning sun. It was warm and _real_ against Kek's face. Tears welled up in Kek's eye.

"Kek? Are you crying again?" Yugi's face betrayed his honest concern, and that somehow made everything hurt even more.

"The light hurts," Kek muttered.

That was half true. The light was overwhelming after five years of opaque black and inky violent. But it was also beautiful, and he wished that he was sitting on a hillside with Ryou as they enjoyed it together. He wished he was kissing in the sunshine with the light making Ryou's white hair glow.

It was so cruel that his first sunrise and his first sight of morning light as Kek instead of Marik's shadow was him marching straight back into the darkness with Yugi and Rishid escorting him like guards leading their prisoner down death row.

"What are you doing in Japan, anyway?" Kek asked out loud, trying to flee his own thoughts.

"Overseeing the transfer of a rare artifact currently on display at the museum. Ishizu was too busy to do it herself."

He almost asked how Marik was doing. It was a moment of stupid curiosity. He had, after all, _been_ Marik once. Perhaps only the parts Marik didn't want, but he'd been him all the same. Kek swallowed the question, knowing it would cause trouble and Rishid wouldn't answer him regardless of his harmless intentions.

"How long?" Yugi asked.

"How long what?" Kek shifted his attention to Yugi, not minding the distraction.

"Have you and Ryou been dating?"

"About a year."

"How do you even go on a date in the Shadow Realm?"

"Picnics." Kek shrugged. "Movies on his laptop. Games. Sometimes we paint figurines." Kek smiled despite himself. "He always shows up with a suitcase of things and looking like he's ready for a vacation."

"Don't you get attacked? Isn't it dangerous?"

"Dangerous for me." Kek studied Yugi. "You have no idea how powerful Ryou is, do you? He can take down fiends that are eight-star cards and giggle because it's fun for him."

"Really? Ryou fights monsters that strong?"

"Don't you realize that if it was anyone else fighting Zorc they'd already be dead?" Kek glared at Yugi. "I'd be dead if it was me." Kek touched the purple cloth wrapped around his eye. "I'd be dead, and Ryou knew it and that's why I'm here instead of him."

"Sounds like the darkness turned on you," Rishid said in a quiet voice.

"Of course it did," Kek replied, his voice dry.

He wasn't about to let Rishid rub it in. He was fully aware that he'd been stupid to ever worship the darkness, in the same way Ryou had been stupid trying to use it to rescue Kek. The darkness always took everything and never gave anything in return except broken promises and lies- Kek _knew_ that. He didn't need Rishid to tell him that. He'd learned it on his own the day he'd watched Zorc's tongue curl around his mangled eye before pulling it into his mouth.

"Can we walk faster? I don't want Ryou in the Shadows any longer." Kek sped up. He didn't care if they others kept pace or not.

They reached Ryou's apartment about five minutes later, door still open because Kek hadn't thought to close it. Kek wanted to look around, touch the plants and figurines, learn more about Ryou through his environment, but there was no time. He lead Yugi and Rishid to Ryou's bedroom and pointed to the salt and ash on the floor.

"He shoved me out of the Shadows, and I crashed against the floor and broke the seal." Kek frowned. "I don't recognize any of the symbols."

"I do, this is worse than I thought." Rishid shook his head the same way a disappointed mother might.

"What's wrong?" Yugi asked.

"This is Shadow Alchemy," Rishid answered. "The Millennium Tome disappeared during your Ceremonial Duel. We hoped it was coincidence." Rishid bent down and pull a heavy, leather-bound book sticking out from beneath Ryou's bed. Kek hadn't noticed it until Rishid grabbed it. "But it looks like Ryou stole it."

"No, Ryou wouldn't do that." Yugi shook his head. "Ryou's our friend, he- it was probably the Ring Spirit."

"Yugi, you had the Ring. You can't blame the Spirit for this. It was Ryou."

"Yeah, Ryou stole it." Kek flopped down on Ryou's bed. He hugged Ryou's pillow to his chest, enjoying Ryou's smell surrounding him. "He told me."

"But why?" Yugi stared at the book as if it, and not Ryou, had betrayed him.

"He wanted it." Kek snorted.

His sight felt heavy. He wasn't used to having his own body and the physical exhaustion felt strange compared the low ba he had to struggle with in the Shadow Realm.

"I suppose this explains why he consorted with you." Rishid opened the book, frowning at the symbols within. "Thieves and murderers are much the same."

Kek growled. "Don't go comparing Ryou to me because he swiped a spell book. He likes studying magic, but he wouldn't use it to ever hurt anyone." Kek's face dropped, thinking _except himself,_ but he didn't say that part out loud. "Ryou started to _consort_ with me because he rescued me! I was dying and he saved me, just like he saved me this morning- don't you _dare_ compare us like he's a bad person."

Kek dropped down to his side, hugging the pillow closer to his chest.

"Well? Hurry up and open the damn portal back up so we can get this over with."

Rishid's mouth dropped. It was the only time Kek could ever remember seeing him anything less than 100% composed.

"It's not that simple," Rishid said. "It takes time to decipher the text. These spells were never _meant_ to be used. To the best of my knowledge, there's only been one spell ever used."

"The one that made the Items," Kek muttered, more to himself than to either Rishid or Yugi. Ryou had told him about the Items.

"Yes."

"How long?" Kek swallowed. He felt sick again, dread pooling into his belly.

"I'll begin immediately." Rishid sat on the floor. He opened the book and flipped through it. Kek noticed his hands shook, but he wasn't sure if it was fear, or anger, or some other emotion that caused it.

"How long for you to find the right spell?" Kek demanded with a growl.

"I'm … not sure. Hopefully in a few days-"

"Days?" Kek jumped to his feet. "How is Ryou suppose to survive that long?"

"You did."

"But I wasn't fighting Zorc the entire five years!"

"Rishid, can I help?" Yugi asked, upset as well. "Is there anything either of us can do?"

"I need absolute concentration."

Yugi grabbed Kek's arm and tugged him. "Come on, we need to let him read the book."

"I'm not going anywhere! I'm staying right here until this asshole is done so I can go save Ryou."

"Ryou will be hungry, right? Let's make him some food."

"But I-"

"Rishid can't find the right spell if you're distracting him. Let's go, Kek."

With an aggravated snarl, Kek allowed himself to be lead out of Ryou's room and into the kitchen.


	7. Chapter 7

Ryou had beautiful knives, gleaming stainless steel. Kek grabbed one and tested the balance; it was near perfect. Wanting something to cut into, Kek grabbed a wooden board and an onion and started to peel and chop. After the first one he grabbed a second one, and then a third.

"Can you cook?" Yugi asked.

"No."

"You look like a pro chopping those onions."

"I…" Kek dropped the knife. "Rishid and Ishizu taught Marik when he was little." Kek crouched on the floor, hugging his knees. "I don't want his damn memories." He squeezed his eye shut, but he wasn't Marik and he couldn't simply disassociate away the things he didn't like about his life. Instead he smacked the bottom cupboard with an angry fist. "It's bullshit."

"It's okay." Yugi rested a hand on Kek's shoulder.

He started to shrug it off, but sighed instead and hit his head against the cabinet to keep himself from punching it again.

"When Marik was little, he thought Rishid was the greatest person in the world. He really thought Rishid was going to save him somehow from the initiation." Kek curled his fingers around the cabinet door, digging his fingernails into the wood. "But he didn't. _I did_. And in the moment before I existed, Marik _hated_ Rishid. He _hated_ him because he felt like Rishid betrayed him, abandoned him when he needed him the most. He wanted Rishid to _die_. And then I came, so I hated Rishid, too, because I felt what Marik was feeling." He shot a hateful glance at Yugi.

"Don't any of you _get_ that? I never chose. I never got a blank slate like a baby gets. I came into existence my first day with 10 years worth of memories and enough pain and hatred to break a child's mind." Kek looked away, preferring the wood grain of the cupboard to Yugi's wide, violet eyes. "But when it was over, and Marik saw what Rishid had done, how he suffered with Marik by carving up his own face since he couldn't take his place, Marik forgave him- but he didn't put any of that forgiveness into me!" Kek pressed his forehead against the cool wood.

He didn't know if Yugi was still listening, but he didn't care. He'd started talking about something he'd never said out loud before and now his words were like a river current flooding out of his mouth.

"I never had a chance to feel anything on my own until I was in the Shadow Realm and wasn't a fragment of Marik any longer."

"Was that when you met Ryou?" Yugi asked with hope brightening his tone. "Was it love that you felt?"

Kek gave him the same tired, bitter laugh as before. Only this time a rueful chime blended in with the bitterness.

"No. Not Ryou. Zorc. And it wasn't love … it was terror." Kek rubbed the scar beneath his eye patch. It hurt just from the memory.

He stood up, grabbing the tea kettle and filling it. This, too, was some learned instinct of Marik's because Kek had never done something as human as make tea before that moment.

"He waited until I was weak enough, ate a piece of me, and then left the rest like scraps for his dogs. That's when I met Ryou. He killed the fiends, healed my wounds, soothed my mind, and offered to bring me spearmint just because I'd never tried it before and he grows it in one of those pots in his room."

He looked at Yugi.

"Do you understand what kind of a person he is now? He saved me because he was bored, healed me because he knew how, and then offered me spearmint because he had enough to share. Who would go back to the Shadows to give someone a leaf?"

"What happened next?"

Kek felt his face flush at the memory. He hid it by stealing cups and tea bags from Ryou's cupboards.

"I started to feel everything. Love came later. 800 kinds of love, and Ryou makes me feel each one, but just then it was other emotions. I was happy because Ryou wasn't afraid of me, and bashful and nervous and giddy because we kept flirting." Kek sucked in a huge breath. "And then I understood things. Like a person and not an alter ego. I understood … that it's wrong to hurt people, but I had. I'd hurt so many people, but I couldn't change it, just accept that I was in the Shadows because of what I'd done."

"But you're sorry now?"

"For all the good it does? Yes. For most of the things I did." Kek started at the tea bags as they bleed into the hot water. "Not _him_ though. Not Marik's father. I won't apologize for hurting him in the same way he hurt me. He deserved to die, and I'm proud of myself for cutting into his back and ripping off the skin."

Kek took the tea and set both cups on the table. He sat next to one, holding the cup and sighing in morbid delight from the burning sting in his hands. Some habits die hard, and a touch of pain was still a physical pleasure to Kek.

"If enjoying his death means I'm still a monster, so be it."

"Maybe not." Yugi frowned at his tea. "Or, at least I'm starting to believe that you're trying to be human now."

"Not trying, I just am."

"Thank you for the tea," Yugi said in a quiet, thoughtful voice.

"Thanks for talking Rishid into helping." Kek sunk his chin against the table top. "I hope the bald bastard figures out what to do soon. I don't want to think about what Ryou's going through right now." Kek closed his eyes. "Why couldn't Ryou just leave me like I told him too?"

Yugi laughed. It was a sad, and somehow fond noise.

"I met Ryou in highschool. Everyone went to his house to play Monster World, but Bakura trapped us in a Shadow Game and tried to kill us. We managed to free Ryou's spirit, and he played with us as an NPC."

"What happened next?"

"We fought Zorc. Ryou played more RPGs than us, so he was at a higher level- almost as high as Zorc. He's the only reason we survived, but…" Yugi frowned, sipping his tea.

"But?"

"Bakura had possessed dice that did whatever he wanted, but Ryou used the Ring to put his own soul into them and destroy them."

"Wouldn't that destroy his soul as well?"

"Yes."

"I don't understand. If Ryou died, then how-"

"His character had a piece of his soul, and he used that to resurrect himself." Yugi smiled and sighed. "He hasn't changed a bit. He's still willing to destroy himself to save someone else."

"But you said he was almost as strong as Zorc? That means he could very well be alive."

"Resurrecting himself took all of his levels, but … I wouldn't be surprised if he'd gained them all back and more since then. So yes, I think Ryou's alive, and as soon as Rishid figures out how to restore the portal- we'll save him."

"Good." Kek sighed as he rested his cheek on the table.

"I just wish you could stay, too. It hurts Ryou that you're not here. He used to talk about his boyfriend in Egypt a lot, and how sad he was because you were so far away."

"I don't think the Millennium Tome has any spells that save people." Kek didn't bother opening his eyes. He was too tired.

"I'm sure you're right."

Kek felt Yugi shake his shoulder.

"You should sleep."

"It's morning."

"You just returned from the Shadow Realm. You look exhausted."

Kek sighed. He couldn't argue, so he allowed Yugi to lead him to the couch. A moment later, he felt Yugi laying a blanket over Kek and tucking a pillow under his head.

"It smells like Ryou." Kek sighed and buried his face into the pillow.

* * *

Kek fell asleep almost as soon as the blanket touched him. Yugi watched him for a moment, trying to puzzle him out. After a minute, Yugi went into the kitchen and sautéed the onions, mixing them with other vegetables and some leftover chicken in Ryou's fridge. He took two plates to the bedroom.

"You should eat." He handed one of the plates to Rishid.

"Thank you," Rishid said.

"Have you had any luck?"

"Some," Rishid said.

Yugi sighed. He'd forgotten that Rishid didn't talk that much.

"Should he be left unsupervised?" Rishid asked.

Yugi blinked, not understanding question at first.

"Kek? I honestly think he's different now. I wasn't sure at first. I thought it might have been a trick, but…" Yugi shook his head. "Not anymore."

"He does seem … changed." Rishid started to eat. "I still want him as far away from Marik as possible. He belongs in the Shadows."

"You don't think five years was enough punishment?"

"What happens if he gets into a fight? Perhaps the other person started it, or perhaps he thought Ryou was in danger. Could he control himself? I don't think so; I think he'd kill them. He belongs in the Shadows."

"It's sad to think about."

"Perhaps, but it's the way it should be."

"I'm not so sure, but I don't know anything about magic, so there's nothing I can do to change it." Yugi stabbed at his food.

They fell into silence, finished eating, and then Rishid went back to trying to decipher the Tome. Yugi watered Ryou's plants and dusted his figurines. There was rice in Ryou's rice cooker, so Yugi used it for dinner. As Yugi finished cooking, Kek stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep out of his eye.

"It smells good in here."

"Ginger." Yugi laughed."I've learned to cook a little. Grandpa keeps telling me to get a wife, but I don't see that happening any time soon, so I figured I better feed myself."

"Ryou cooks."

"Yeah, he always cooks something for my birthday, and it's always the best. You said you have picnics, right?"

"Yeah, we eat a lot of desserts. It helps him stay longer. I try to make him go home before he gets too tired, but he hates leaving."

"Ryou's stubborn," Yugi admitted, handing Kek a plate. "Will you give this to Rishid?"

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Surely you can just hand him a plate, right? He _has_ been working on finding the spell we need all day long."

"Because he wants to get rid of me."

"He's still helping."

"Fine. Whatever."

Kek grabbed the plate and matched towards the room. Yugi followed behind.

"Here. Yugi wants you to have this." Kek shoved the plate at Rishid, looking at everything else in the room but Rishid.

"Thank you. Please set it down and I will eat it in a moment." Rishid didn't look up from his book."

Kek snorted, but did as he was asked. He turned around and noticed Yugi.

"Why didn't you do it yourself?"

"I wanted to see what you'd do." Yugi shrugged.

"Still being tested and judged by the good guys, I see."

"No, I wanted to see how both of you reacted. I think you guys should talk to each other."

"Now isn't the time," Rishid said.

"Like I have anything to say to that asshole." Kek stormed off.

* * *

Rishid stayed up late into the night. He was used to long hours, so he didn't complain. He knew that every minute he took was a minute Ryou could die, and he didn't want that to happen. Rishid didn't know the Ring Spirit's host well, but he knew that Marik and the Spirit had used the boy for their plans, and perhaps it was that knowledge- and that guilt- that motivated Rishid to help Ryou even at the cost of tolerating Marik's former shadow.

Still, even Rishid used the toilet, so he stood, and stretched, and emptied his bladder. Afterward he checked on Yugi, sleeping on the sofa. He didn't see Marik's shadow, and that concerned him, so he decided to search for the creature.

He found Kek in the kitchen, and what he saw, shocked him.

Kek stood barefoot in the kitchen with earbuds in his ears. He'd moved the kitchen table off to the side to give him more room, and faced away from the door so that he didn't notice Rishid.

He was … dancing.

Not only was he dancing, but he had a glowing phoenix swirling around him as he danced. Rishid recognized the illusion for what it was, but nevertheless, it was an odd thing, to see Marik's shadow use his illusion powers to make something beautiful instead of a psychological horror with the purpose of hurting another.

The former shadow sang as he and the phoenix moved in a rhythm that Rishid couldn't hear.

" _If there was a lighter in everybody's hand_

 _The world would seem brighter_

 _The sky would be fire_

 _We'd raise our hands and burn the world_

 _So raise your hands and burn the world."_

The phoenix swirled above him, creating the very fire the lyrics suggested. Kek had his hands raised and then circled. Some of the moves were awkward, but there was a strange, self-taught grace to the movement. Rishid scowled at the lyrics that Marik's shadow sang. They were fast like gunfire, like violence, and at first Rishid feared the Marik's other half only liked the song _because_ of the implied violence. But at the end Kek grew quiet, muttering the words like a magician with a spell.

" _So how do I light up the darkness, Mr. Bob Marley?_

 _This is my attempt right here."_

Kek dropped to his knees.

" _I'm trying…_ "

He pulled the headphones away from his ears. Fortunately, he still faced away from Rishid and didn't notice him. Like, Yugi before, Rishid couldn't help but stand and watch, observing how Kek would act on his own.

And what Kek did on his own, without seeing Rishid behind him, was grip the material just above his knees and make a small, wounded sound.

"Marik never prayed, so I don't really know how, or if you gods even listen, but …" Another helpless, wounded noise. "Protect Ryou. He's good, so don't let anything happen to him in the Shadow Realm. I don't care what happens to me. Zorc, Ammit, it doesn't matter who devours my soul, but _protect Ryou_."

He curled into a ball, growling and yanking at his hair. Rishid moved then, and knelt beside him. He rested the tips of his fingers on Kek's back, and Kek jerked up.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Eavesdropping," Rishid answered. He saw no reason to lie.

Kek stood up, crossed his arms over his chest, and turned towards the sink.

"I'm sick and tired of everyone observing me like I'm a fucking science experiment. Get the fuck out."

"I heard you earlier as well. It wasn't my intention, but you were screaming."

"I'm not apologizing for anything I said, so if that's what you want-"

"No." Rishid shook his head. "I know it's the truth. I've had a similar conversation with Marik."

"What?" Kek's eye flickered towards Rishid.

"Yes. Marik's not a teenager anymore. He's grown as well."

Kek grunted.

"I saw the phoenix."

"Ryou taught me."

"Did he teach you to dance?"

"No." Kek started to fidget with the hem of his shirt. "He gave me the music, though."

"Can you create other birds?"

"I can make anything that I can imagine."

An ibis appeared beside him, and then a cat, and then a jackal. Rishid noticed that Kek chose animals that represented various gods. He held a swallow in his hands.

"There's nothing better to do in the Shadow Realm, so I learned how to make things, and dance, and read books, and started thinking … about myself, and the world, and-"

Rishid wrapped his arms around Kek. He held him just as he had held Marik the day Marik's father died. He expected cursing, and fists, and screams, perhaps a knife in his belly. What he didn't expect was for Kek to hold onto Rishid's shift like a child begging for comfort. Nor did he expect for Kek to press his face against Rishid's shoulder and tremble as hot tears soaked into the cloth of Rishid's robe.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed, but Rishid wasn't sure if he was sorry for crying, or for trying to kill Rishid five years ago during Battle City.

"No." Rishid shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there, and you had to be created because of it."

It was much like the apology he'd given Marik, years ago when Marik tried to explain why he felt guilty for his alter ego hating Rishid in the first place. And Kek cried exactly as Marik had cried that day. It was eerie, how they sounded exactly the same with each sniff and whimper, how they both curled their fingers into Rishid's robe in the exact same place.

"It's not your fault."

Even the words were the same as Marik's, the exact same words with the exact same tone of voice.

"It was _his_ fault."

The last line was the only difference, and at first Rishid thought he meant that it was Marik's fault. Then he realized he was talking about Marik's father. Rishid didn't have an answer for that. Instead, he squeezed Kek a little more tightly and allowed him to finish crying against Rishid's robe.

When Rishid pulled away, he couldn't help but muss Kek's already wild hair. He wasn't sure why did the gesture. Surely he'd never do it to Marik, who was adamant about keeping pristine appearances. Perhaps it was sheer indulgence on Rishid's part, then, because he knew Kek wouldn't get angry like Marik would.

"I swear I don't cry this much all the time." Kek combed his spikes back into place with one hand while the other rubbed at his eye.

"I suppose you're making up for lost time," Rishid said as he turned to go back to the Spell Book.

"C-can I go into Ryou's room with you? Yugi fell asleep on the couch, and I didn't want to wake him."

"Yes. It's fine."

"I can stay in the kitchen-"

"Kek, it's fine."

"You used my name." Kek stared at him in shock.

"Yes, I did."

Rishid went back to Ryou's room and continued pouring through the symbols in the book that somehow reminded him of every nightmare he'd ever had.

He couldn't save Marik, all those years ago. He couldn't stop the initiation, or even get Ishtar senior to allow Rishid to take Marik's place and suffer for him (a task in which Rishid would have been happy to complete). Regardless, he was going to help save Ryou Bakura…

And he had decided that he was going to save Kek as well.


	8. Chapter 8

Kek tried to stay awake, but there wasn't much to do except stare at Rishid staring at the Tome, and Ryou's pillow and blankets smelled of him, and it was a wonderful, comforting scent that lulled Kek into sleep. The next thing he realized, Rishid was shaking his shoulder.

He looked up, groggy. A strong, instinctual panic overtook him at the sight of Rishid, and he wanted to claw at his already-scarred face, but then the night before rushed back into his memory. Kek had never realized how badly he wanted a family until Rishid's arms had encircled him in a protective, brotherly hug. He'd been so afraid that Rishid was going to let go, that he'd clung to him and cried for the past eleven years of hatred he'd felt towards him.

"Is everything okay?" Kek asked.

"I found it," Rishid said in his simple, stoic way.

"Really?" Kek jumped to his feet, looking at the book in Rishid's hands.

"Yes. See here? These symbols match the markings on the floor. All we have to do is complete the circle and the portal should open up."

"Thank you!" Kek gave Rishid a quick, fierce hug out of reflex and then ran to the living room to wake Yugi.

"It's too early." Yugi tried to push Kek's hands away as he shook Yugi awake.

"Yugi! It's time. Wake-up." He was used to waking up Ryou from naps, and by comparison, Yugi was easier to deal with.

"Time to what? Duel?" Yugi rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake up that wasn't quite working.

"No, you card game nerd! It's time to save Ryou!"

"Ryou!" Yugi's eyes flung his eyes open as he sat up. "Rishid already found the right spell?"

"Yes."

"That's great!" Yugi stood and shook his head. "Let's go."

They rushed to Ryou's bedroom. Kek couldn't help a last, lingering look at the pre-dawn light pushing through the windows. At least he got to see two dawns. That was more than he ever thought he would have.

"Done." Rishid stood up and brushed ash and salt off his hands.

Kek's stomach cramped when he saw a tear of darkness cut through the light of the room. He shook, a reflex he couldn't control, but his breath stayed steady and his jaw stayed set. He was going to save Ryou and not even eternal darkness and suffering would stop him. He turned to Yugi and rested his hands on Yugi's shoulders.

"Ryou is going to be mad that we did this. He hated me being in the Shadow Realm and even hurt himself in misguided attempts to bring me back. That's why, as soon as he's back in the world, I need you to destroy the circle again and keep him from ever trying to find me again. Please."

Yugi nodded. "I know how Ryou gets. He was like that with the Ring, too. I'll do my best, Kek."

Then he turned to Rishid. "Hide the Millennium Tome from him. Don't even let him see it again or he'll go right back into the darkness … for me.."

"Kek, do you trust me?" Rishid asked.

"I...don't know." Kek frowned. "I'm just now trying to learn not to hate you."

"Can you try to trust me? And do exactly as I say?"

"I suppose? What do you want me to do?"

"Go. Find Ryou. And hold onto him. Don't let go, no matter what."

"But Ryou needs to leave the Shado-"

"Kek." Rishid set the book on Ryou's bed so he could hold both of Kek's hands in his own. "Do what I say. I promise Ryou will be saved."

"Okay. I won't let go when I find him." Kek's brow twisted, his eyebrows netted together.

* * *

Ryou gasped as he leaned forward to rest for half a moment. He wasn't sure how long he'd fought, but every breath burned in his chest and his vision blurred even after he smeared the sweat out of his eyes.

Zorc laughed. He never really spoke, whispered sometimes, whispered every insecurity that Ryou had ever felt deep in the pit of his chest, but he never said actual words. Ryou narrowed his eyes at the darkness before him and charged once again. His staff smacked against Zorc's tail. He hissed in displeasure, but Ryou knew he wasn't doing near enough damage. It was like a boss battle in Monster World where even his best attacks only took off 1 HP at a time.

And he'd been fighting non-stop. Every time Ryou tried to sneak away to grab a snack or drink out of Kek's bag, Zorc always found him and forced him back into the fight. He supposed it wasn't hard, to find a single star in the night sky when it was the only star shining, but more than anything else, Ryou wished he could drink some damn juice and catch his breath.

Instead he jumped, and rolled, and dodged attack after attack. Ryou still had his shield; however, each time his shield took a hit, it drained a bit of Ryou's ba. Ryou needed all the heka he could summon for attacks, so lazy defense was a nicety he didn't have MP for.

"I hate you!" Ryou screamed in desperation. Sweat matted his hair to his face. He heaved in heavy breaths that continued to burn, but he didn't stop screaming. "Not my dad for being obsessed with the Items! Not the Spirit for being obsessed with revenge! But you! You I hate!"

Furious, Ryou started beating Zorc with his staff, infusing heka into his attacks to make them hurt. Perhaps not the critical hits he'd like to deal, but strikes strong enough to hurt instead of annoy. Instead of hissing, Zorc started to growl. Ryou ignored the trembling, horrifying sound and went straight for Zorc's eye. He plunged his staff into the dim red light- his right eye, the same as he took from Kek. Ryou emitted as much light as he could, making sure the demon-god would never be able to use the eye again.

Zorc smacked Ryou away, shattering his shield and sending him rolling into the darkness. Ryou pushed himself onto his forearms, but couldn't lift up any higher. When he tried, he coughed blood onto the opaque, black "floor" below him. He didn't care that he was about to die. At least he'd left a permanent reminder that even demon-gods could be wounded, and if they could be wounded- they could die.

"Ryou!"

Ryou blinked. He wondered if the voice was a hallucination, but a pair of strong, copper arms wrapped around him and warmed his cold body.

"It's okay! I got you! I won't let go!"

"Kek?" Ryou asked. "Dammit, I sent you away so you could _live_! Go away!"

"And I came back so _you_ could live!" Kek squeezed harder, lifting Ryou up into his arms just in time to dodge a swing of Zorc's tail.

"I stabbed him in the eye," Ryou murmured, too exhausted to argue, although he wanted to argue. He wanted to push Kek right back out of the Shadows. "He should have never fucked with my boyfriend."

"Is that why he's so pissed?" Kek dodged another attack, but Ryou's weight made his movements awkward, and he wouldn't be able to dodge for long.

"Yeah."

"And here I was crying because I thought _you'd_ be hurt."

"I am. Just a little though."

"Don't worry, you're going home."

"Kek. No!" Shouting made Ryou cough up more blood. He wiped it away with his black sleeve to hide it from Kek.

"Ryou, it's not like the dice! You can't just shatter yourself for other people! _You_ are worth saving, too!"

And as Kek shouted out the words, fire burned away the darkness. Fire consumed them both and made them golden in its light. Ryou winced at the brightness, having spent days in pitch. When his vision cleared, he realized that a giant, golden sphere floated in the black air.

Kek stared at the sphere and chanted out loud. Ryou remembered the sound through a mind-repressed fog from Battle City. It was the Spirit, and not Ryou, that had actually heard the words.

Zorc paused when the sphere appeared, but, sensing that it had neither attack nor defense, Zorc rose to his full height, tail aimed to destroy the golden sphere. Yet, even as Zorc attacked, the sphere morphed into the Sun Dragon in its full form. Ra roared and Zorc shrank back. Ryou realized in that moment that all his continuous, 1 HP hits and his final attack, had worn Zorc down too much to fight a god, so the demon retreated back into the darkness and left Marik and Ryou in peace.

"How did you know about me shattering myself in the dice?" Ryou asked once they were alone.

"Yugi."

"Did he stop by the apartment?"

"No, I asked him for help. Rishid's the one that actually opened the portal though."

"I don't understand." Ryou shook his head. "I thought you wanted both of them dead."

"I didn't want them dead half as much as I wanted you alive."

* * *

Kek held Ryou, and held him, and held him. He told Rishid he'd try to do as asked, but it wasn't difficult when Rishid had simply told Kek to hold on to Ryou and not let go. They both squeezed each other, nuzzling their faces into each other's hair and sighing at the joy of being reunited.

"Kek, let me stay."

"You crazy fool. No one _wants_ to stay in the Shadow Realm."

"I don't want to stay in the Shadow Realm- I want to stay with you."

Kek couldn't help the appreciative hum that left his throat. He inhaled into Ryou's hair. It'd lost the shampoo smell that clung to his pillows, but was still comforting to breathe in.

"I want to stay with you, too. I love you, but Ryou, that's why you have to go. I love you too much to let this ever happen again."

"Dammit, stop being selfless!" Ryou shouted, fisting his hands into Kek's wild hair. "How is it fair that one of us lives in the light while the other suffers in the dark?"

"I was created in the dark." Kek closed his eyes and traced his nose along Ryou's. They still sat clinging to each other in the darkness.

"I'd rather be happy for five years than alive for one hundred."

Kek's eyes fluttered opened and he realized Ryou gave him a grave, serious look.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Ryou began. "That if we can't live in the real world together- let's stay here."

"Ryou, no." Kek shook his head.

"Why not? My days are wasted with me waiting to get back to you here. I'm happy here when I'm with you."

"Look at me." Kek pulled the purple sash away from his face. "We can't fight Zorc forever. If we stay here we'll grow weak, and as soon as Zorc knows he can defeat us- he'll come back."

"Let him. At least every moment before then will be good."

"I…"

"Please," Ryou whispered, ghosting their lips together.

"We'd better make it longer than five years." Kek sighed against Ryou's lips before they brushed together again. "If I made it five on my own, together we should be strong enough to survive over a dozen years."

"I like how you think…" Ryou paused. "Are we… glowing?"

"Glowing?" Kek opened his eyes all the way and realized they were glowing. "Yes. You're not doing it?"

"No."

"It feels like magic," Kek said.

"Not mine."

Kek grabbed Ryou more tightly.

"Kek?" Ryou asked.

"I said I wouldn't let go, and I'm not."

And he didn't. And the light grew unbearable.

When they could see again, eyes focusing in slow degrees, Kek realized that they were still in each other's arms, but in Ryou's bedroom instead of the Shadow Realm.

"It worked!" Yugi cheered.

"I… don't understand?" Ryou looked around.

They sat in a different summoning circle, one made of myrrh resin with candles and incense lit all around them. Yugi and Rishid knelt on opposite sides of the circle. Sweat matted Yugi's hair and their breaths rose high and low into their chests.

"We used a spell to make sure you both came back!" Yugi gestured to them. "And it worked."

"That's not possible." Ryou shook his head. "I've checked every spell possible-"

"Perhaps, if you had wanted to study magic, you should have asked to be taken on as an apprentice instead of stealing a Dark Tome that doesn't belong to you," Rishid said.

Ryou bowed his head. "You're right. I'm sorry. There's no excuse for me taking the tome."

"Perhaps it was meant to happen." Rishid shook his head. "Had you not walked a path that threaded between light and dark, you would have never met Marik's other half and helped him on his journey to becoming Kek."

"Nevermind all that," Kek interrupted. "When did _you_ learn this kind of magic?"

Rishid shrugged. "I found the spell for Marik, so he could go into the Duat and bring back the Thief."

"You let _that_ asshole come back!" Kek shouted.

Rishid gave him a look that worked better than any sarcastic comment ever could. Kek grinned and scratched the back of his head.

"Okay, fair enough."

"But you two had to keep physically connected," Yugi explained. "Or he couldn't pull you both out at once."

"Why didn't you just tell me what you were up to?" Kek asked.

"The spell was made for the Afterlife. I wasn't sure it would work in the Shadows, and I didn't want to give you false hope."

Ryou slipped out of Kek's lap enough to bow low. "Thank you. I… I don't have words. I, I'm so happy. Thank you so much!"

"Forget words. I'd settle for dinner." Yugi grinned, stopping Ryou from further appreciative rambling.

"The magic did take a great deal of energy," Rishid said.

"I starving, too!" Ryou laughed until little tears pricked the corner of his eyes. "Order whatever you want! We should celebrate!" Ryou jumped up. "I'll bake a cake!"

Ryou ran out of the room. Kek shook his head, pressing the palm of his hand against his forehead.

"When I got there he was fighting Zorc. How can he just go and bake a cake?" Kek scrambled to his feet. "He's probably still hurt!"

Kek chased after Ryou who was standing in the kitchen, leaning against the fridge, and pressing his hands over his heart.

"You are hurt." Kek scowled. He rushed to Ryou and used his own heka to boost Ryou's heal spell.

"I didn't want anyone to worry," Ryou whispered.

"Shhhh." Kek kissed Ryou's forehead.

He kept his hand pressed against Ryou's chest until he was fully healed. Kek noticed the way the kitchen light played in Ryou's hair, and he smiled. The fact that he was _actually back_ in the living world hadn't sunk in yet.

"There. Feel better?"

"Yes," Ryou said, flushed from the spell and from the proximity of their bodies. Ryou giggled. "I should… probably take a shower as soon as I get the cake in the oven."

"You can take a shower first."

"No way." Ryou shook his head and grabbed a large bowl. "I really do want to celebrate. It's kinda like your birthday. Well, maybe not _birthday_ , but your welcome-to-the-world day."

"Then I'm helping you."

"Okay. First let's sift the flour."

They were pouring the batter by the time Kek realized Rishid stood and watched them.

"Will you stop doing that?" He grumbled, feeling like a bug under a magnifying glass.

"Forgive me. It's still a bit of a shock to see how human you've become."

Kek scratched his arm, feeling like he might be blushing, and perhaps hearing that he was acting human made him… happy, but that didn't stop him from chuckling with a menacing _kekeke_.

"Don't give me too much credit. Even monsters like cake."

"Kek set a timer for 35 minutes please."

Kek stopped laughing and reached over to set the timer. He didn't think much about the action until Rishid started laughing. Kek jerked at the sound.

"Are you… feeling okay?" Kek asked. He'd _never_ heard Rishid laugh.

"Monster indeed. Ryou has you well trained for an alleged monster."

* * *

Ryou showered, the food arrived and they all sat in the living room to eat. Kek's eyes kept skirting from one person to another. Rishid eating in silence, Yugi and Ryou chatting in between bites. It didn't seem real. It didn't seem like something that could happen to Kek, as if he wasn't allowed to have a normal dinner with people. _People._ People that were once his enemies, but were now sharing a meal with him.

"It gets easier over time," Rishid said between bites.

"What?"

"Moments like this. Bakura used to take his food and go sit alone. He said it was overwhelming."

Kek nodded his head, surprised that Rishid understood what he was going through.

"Don't worry, you're doing great." Yugi reached over, stretching as far as he could reach in order to pat Kek on the shoulder.

"It gets easier," Rishid repeated, and Kek nodded.

He was starting to trust Rishid after all, although that was also a strange feeling. He hoped, in time, that _that_ would get easier as well.

He hoped he'd have enough opportunities to find out.

After they ate they talked for a while. Rather, Ryou and Yugi talked about games while Rishid listened and Kek muttered at how ridiculous the banned card list was. Eventually, Ryou brought out the cake and they devoured the entire thing, all of them still craving sugar to recover their _heka_.

Then Rishid stood up, bowed, and said it was time to take his leave. Yugi nodded and stood up as well.

"Okay, you can spend the night, if you want?"

"I wish to return to Egypt," Rishid said.

"And I need to open the Game Shop in the morning." Yugi shrugged. "But I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of each other soon." He grinned.

Ryou walked them to the door and Kek followed, not knowing what else to do with himself. Ryou hugged both of them, thanking them over and over again. He was still trying to thank them when Rishid rested his hands on Kek's shoulders, making Kek jerk in surprise.

"I will talk to Marik."

"No, don't tell him." Kek shook his head. "He'll just get pissed, and upset, it's better he doesn't know."

"Maybe what you say is true, but he needs to know- that you're back, and that you've changed. Would you speak with him if he was willing?"

"What, no!" Kek jumped back. "I mean, maybe? If he didn't want to scream at me? But he'd just want to fight, so I don't see the point." Kek looked away, not wanting to think about it.

"I'm sure you'll both be surprised at how much the other has changed." Rishid took a step forward.

Kek got the feeling that Rishid wanted Kek to meet him halfway. He shied away at first, overwhelmed by the ease in which the others now accepted him. Everything had been so frantic when he needed to save Ryou. He hadn't had time to be guarded, but now he had time to process how awkward he felt around people. He didn't know how to act, what to say, what to do with his hands when they weren't holding a knife.

But Kek finally gathered up the courage to step up to Rishid, looking at him and trying to read his stoic gaze without success.

"Goodbye, brother." Rishid wrapped his arms around Kek in a hug.

Kek froze in shock, lavender eye huge and round. All he could do was grunt in response as he tried to adjust to the surreal moment. Kek sighed. He never quite realized how tall Rishid was until that moment. It seemed appropriate, somehow, that an older brother would be taller. Kek reached up and returned the hug.


	9. Chapter 9

Kek stepped back, and the first thing he noticed was Ryou and Yugi rubbing their eyes with the back of their fists.

"What's wrong?" He scowled, honestly not understanding why they looked so emotional. "I wasn't going to stab him, if that's what you thought."

"We know that!" Ryou laughed.

"I'm just so happy for you." Yugi sniffed.

"Dammit, you guys. I'm not going to be human anymore if you're going to make it more awkward than it already is."

"You'll have to visit the game shop during one of our gaming nights." Yugi laughed and waved as he left the apartment. "See ya!"

Rishid bowed and left without another word. Ryou closed the door, turned to Kek, and jumped into his arms.

"I still can't believe you're really here!"

"Yeah, it doesn't quite feel real. I'm almost afraid you'll disappear."

Ryou leaned in and bit his collarbone with more force than usual.

"Ow." Kek set Ryou back on the floor so he could rub at the sore spot. "Why'd you do that? It sort of hurt."

It had, just a little, and his nipples were rigid because of it. His cock also lengthened at the familiar feel of pain- old habits died hard he supposed.

"I did it because a hallucination wouldn't have."

Kek grinned at Ryou's logic. "Okay, smart ass, but don't think for a moment that I won't bite you right back."

He grabbed Ryou by the hair and, with a rough tug, pulled them together. Kek used his grip on Ryou's hair to tilt his neck so he could place his own bites. He climbed all the way up Ryou's neck. Kek's bites were hard, but sensuous, and Ryou groaned, clawing at Kek's shirt.

"Bedroom," Ryou's voice was raw and husky. "Now."

Ryou's voice, and his command, finished what the bite had started, making Kek's dick tent up through his pants. He picked Ryou up and carried him, bridal-style, to the bed.

The smell of myrrh and incense lingered in the room. Kek felt heady, giddy, but his light-headed happiness had more to do with the smolder in Ryou's dark eyes than the myrrh. He lay Ryou down and nestled beside him. They lay on their sides, staring face-to-face for a moment. Ryou smiled, drawing Kek's features with the tips of his fingers.

"Oh dear gods, I'm so happy." Ryou rolled over, pushing Kek into the mattress and pressing his tongue into Kek's mouth.

Kek parted his lips, welcoming Ryou's tongue. His fingers tangled into Ryou's hair, accidentally knotting the delicate strands. They caught in the knots as he tugged. Ryou moaned with each tug of his hair. Ryou's fingernails scraped against Kek's skin as he rushed to rip and tear away the khaki's and black t-shirt. The light scratches encouraged Kek to squirm both in pleasure and to help shift out of the clothing. He unwound his fingers from Ryou's hair so he could return the favor and undress him.

As soon as they lay naked in each other's arms, Kek spread his legs wide. He hummed at the sight of Ryou's pale, lithe body nestled so perfectly between his thicker, browner thighs.

Ryou lowered down, kissing across Kek's chest, down his biceps, the tips of each finger. Kek sighed, eyes fluttering shut as Ryou's lips dragged down the blade of his palm and to his wrist. He shivered, and couldn't help but hitch up his hips. Each sweet little kiss made Kek want Ryou inside him so he could crush Ryou to his chest and feel their heartbeats merge together as they moved.

But Ryou was playing a slow game. He kept switching between Kek's nipples, flicking at one with his tongue and then the other, biting at one and then the other. Kek's hands groped at Ryou's ass to encourage Ryou to grind their cocks together. Ryou began to pant, his cheeks coral and eyes dilated. He started hitching on his own, dragging his weight against Kek's cock.

"Wait," Ryou gasped, hoping off and going to his dresser.

He pulled out a bottle of lube and rushed back to the bed. Their mouths crashed together again, and their nails scraped down shoulders and arms.

"Bite me," Kek begged.

Ryou sank his teeth in Kek's collarbone and he moaned deeply. Ryou's love bites meandered towards Kek's shoulder, then his neck, then down his chest and back to his nipples. Ryou fumbled with the bottle as his continued to pamper Kek's body with affection and soft nips of his teeth. Kek felt Ryou's fingers prying into his body.

"Ah!" He gasped at the initial intrusion.

But Ryou used one lube-slick hand to stroke Kek while the other continued to warm Kek from the inside out. Kek's left hand tangled into Ryou's hair again, and he rocked, enjoying both of Ryou's hands and what each was doing. Ryou let go of Kek's cock to grab his own and guide himself inside.

"Ahhhhh!" Kek called out, much longer and louder than before.

"Ready?" Ryou smiled.

"Yes." Kek bit his bottom lip.

He couldn't think of anything sexier to say, Ryou was hot and twitching inside him, and Kek was desperate for them to get started. Ryou eased out and pushed back in, keeping his movements languid and fluid and forcing sweet, bell-like whines out of Kek's mouth. Kek pushed up on his elbow so he could reach Ryou's mouth for a quick, poorly timed kiss. They tried a few more times, but their mouths were sloppy because they kept rocking their bodies as they kissed.

"I love you," Ryou whispered when they gave up trying to kiss and make love at the same time.

A little squeak slipped out of Kek's mouth. He grinned, and crunched his eye shut, and pressed his forehead against Ryou's shoulder. Tears welled up in the corner of Kek's eye. He clung to Ryou as hard as he could, pulling them lower until he could rest against the mattress. Perhaps at one point the cotton sheets might have hurt his back, but not anymore since the scars were smoother, fainter memories instead of the gashes they once were.

"I love you, too!" He shouted. It was a loud, stupid thing to shout, but he couldn't help it and he didn't want to be able to help it anyway.

They both started laughing, sheer joying bursting from their souls even as Ryou continued to slowly rock into Kek's waiting body. They tried kissing again, and this time managed a few good ones amidst the chaos of movement.

"I love you," Kek repeated, too happy not to repeat it.

"I love you, too!" Ryou shouted as he laughed and gasped and started to move a little faster in his excitement.

They both moaned, Kek against Ryou's shoulder, and Ryou close to Kek's ear. Kek wrapped his legs around Ryou's waist and used his core to lift his backend into each thrust, and they were moving, moving, moving, together like a heka moving through the universe. It was hard to pull away from Ryou's shoulders, but Kek finally slipped his hands between his legs and grabbed his shaft.

"Tell me when you come," Ryou purred in a raw sounding voice.

Kek could struggled to breathe. His chest stretched taut and tight as his muscles flexed with his oncoming climax. Kek moved his wrist faster, squeezed harder, moaned louder, and then started to shout.

"R-Ry-Ryou! Ryou! I'm coming! Oh gods!"

Ryou whimpered and sped up. He clutched onto Kek's hair as he threw back his head. Strands of white scattered behind him and along the frame of his face as Ryou's mouth shaped into a wide O and he came just after Kek.

As soon as the tension broke within both of them, they clasped onto each other's faces and laughed, noses bumping together.

"I love you," Ryou managed once their laughter simmered down.

"I love you."

"I'm so happy."

"Me too."

"I still can't believe it!" Ryou started laughing again. They both did, and they laughed and petted each other's hair until they fell asleep.

* * *

Kek's eyelids felt heavy, but he opened them anyway. He wanted to make sure the last few days were real, and the weight of Ryou's arm over his chest assuaged his fears. A gray wash lit up the room, telling Kek that dawn was breaking.

"Ryou." He shook Ryou's shoulder.

"Ummm-mmmm." Ryou protested, as stubborn as ever about waking up.

"Ryou, get dressed and watch the sunrise with me."

"Oh." Ryou yawned and fluttered his lashes until his eyes opened. "Oh! Yes! That sounds wonderful."

They wiped down, and found their scattered clothes from the night before, and Ryou grabbed the blanket off of his bed. He lead Kek to the roof of the apartment building and they sat on the edge of their building- Ryou in his lap and their feet dangling off the side of the building and their faces looking East. Kek wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and used it like a cape to wrap Ryou close to his body, his legs splayed for Ryou to fit between them as they sat.

"I remember seeing it, the sunrise, when you first sent me back, and it hurt to look at without you."

"I'm sorry. I should have known that there's always better magic than dark magic. I never imagined that Rishid of all people would know a spell like that- or use it to bring you back with me."

"I don't think he would have, had you simply asked." Kek rested his chin against the crown of Ryou's hair. The horizon was a blazing strip of gold, and the sky above was pink and crimson.

"No, I guess not. Everything had to work out like it did. I mean, what are the odds that Rishid would even be in Japan right when you needed his help?"

"Yeah… hmmmm, that does seem almost too serendipitous."

"Kek?" Ryou asked, looking up a little.

Kek shook his head, and kissed the top of Ryou's. "Nothing. I think I'm just being paranoid. Look, you can actually see part of the disk now."

They settled into a comfortable silence. The air was chilled, but the blanket and their body heat kept them warm. Kek kept staring down at Ryou's hair. It shimmered, almost like a prism, when the morning light hit it. Ryou looked over his shoulder, smiling.

"Are you even watching the sunrise anymore?"

"I got distracted." Kek reached out and stroked Ryou's hair. "You were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen when I was in the Shadows, but now… you're even more beautiful in the sunlight."

Ryou shifted up, twisting around so that his was straddling Kek's lap instead of sitting in it. He pulled one of the spikes down for Kek to see.

"In the sun, your hair looks like the flames of Ra."

"Appropriate." Kek grinned.

"Yeah." Ryou rubbed their noses together. "Come on. Let's go back inside and I'll make us breakfast. Then we can shower and figure out what to do with the rest of the day."

* * *

Ryou stepped inside the apartment, two letters in his hand.

"Look, Kek, we each got a letter from Egypt."

Kek wrung his hands, nervous. He'd been back in the world for three weeks. In that short time he'd learn how to bake chocolate cupcakes, lose at shogi (he was getting better, but Ryou was still far too experienced for him), and he'd even jumped from painting figurines with Ryou, to trying to paint on canvas. In fact, he loved painting fire, and sunrises, phoenixes gliding across huge bodies of water- anything with warm, bright colors. Despite the fact that he was still changing, still becoming more human the more time he spent living like one, he wasn't sure if he was ready for "news from home" quite yet.

"Don't be nervous." Ryou kissed his cheek and slipped one of the two envelopes into his hand.

"Yeah… right." He looked up. "You open yours first."

"Okay." Ryou's slender, nimble fingers managed to open the envelope without tearing it.

Inside was a letter written on parchment with smooth handwriting. Ryou's eyes darted as he read.

"Oh. It's from Marik. It's a formal invitation for me to go to Egypt and become a mage apprentice. Apparently they're trying to preserve some of the magic that's been forgotten over time by having people learn it again." Ryou made an excited gesture with his hand. "Open yours, Kek!"

Kek tried to pry the envelope open gently, but all he did was rip it into jagged pieces. He barely managed to wrangle the parchment out without tearing that as well. He unfolded letter with jittery hands and recognized Marik's handwriting right away. It was the same letter, going on and on about preserving tradition, and sacred responsibilities, and bla-bla-bla. Clearly Ishizu had written the letter _for_ Marik and then made him copy it in his own handwriting. Still some of the information about Egypt's oldest magi and their blood-ties to the Ishtars _was_ interesting. Kek found himself curious despite himself. He never thought of heritage running further back than the father he'd skinned alive, and although he knew more about Ra than Marik, he didn't know much about the Ishtar line in general.

And what sort of magic did they know? Rishid had found a spell that allowed Marik to travel to the Duat himself and bring back the soul of a lost thief. What else were they hiding? Again, Kek found himself wondering. He loved summoning firebirds and flaming lions to dance with. He loved healing- although he was glad Ryou no longer needed healing magic. Kek realized he wouldn't mind learning other spells.

"Bakura knew how to summon his ka. Think he'd teach us? I'd love to see what sort of beast represents my soul."

"Yeah…"

Kek swallowed. The letter was formal; it didn't show how Marik really felt. Was he simply sending the invitation at Rishid's request? Did Ishizu know that Marik was inviting Ryou _and_ himself? Would they stone him when they saw him walking towards their front door?

"Kek, I think there's another piece of paper in your envelope." Ryou pointed to a small dark square at the bottom.

Kek fished out the second, smaller piece of paper. Real paper, not papyrus, Kek studied it. It was a note from Marik, not something formal and copied, but a real message.

 _Look, I know it's not going to be easy. It's not that I don't believe Rishid, but we both know how we'll act when we see each other. They'll probably be screaming and clenched fists and a lot of bitter words, but come to Egypt anyway. It'll probably be good for both of us, to get all that screaming off our chests. Ryou probably needs to scream at Bakura, too. He's pacing a trench into my floor even as I write this, but again, come anyway. Both of you._

Kek couldn't help the dark chuckle. At least he wouldn't have to show up expecting fake hugs and a knife in the back.

"What does it say?" Ryou asked.

Kek read the note out loud. Ryou listened carefully and then nodded his head.

"I don't know about screaming, but… there are a few serious questions I have. Also, it'll fun, right? I can brag about half blinding Zorc and you can brag about summoning Ra."

"Yeah, think the apprenticeship of theirs comes with wizards' duels? That would be therapeutic."

"Oh gods I hope so. It'd be like playing Monster World as a live action- only with real magic." Ryou stepped beside Kek, wrapping his arm around Kek's waist. "What do you think? You don't have to answer today. Think as long as you'd like, but you know I won't go unless you do, so it's your call."

"You love magic."

"Not half as much as I love you." Ryou smiled.

"Have you ever been to Egypt before?" Kek asked, curious. He was still learning about Ryou. Every day he learned something new, and he loved it.

Ryou nodded. "I lived there when I was young. It'll almost be like returning home for me too."

Kek stared at the note again and read it a second time.

"Yeah… home."

Could it be? Home? Rishid had called him brother.

"Let's go home become magi." He kissed Ryou's cheek. "I want to watch you become the greatest magician that's ever existed."

And Kek had no doubt that Ryou would become nothing less than the greatest.


End file.
